New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is working towards eliminating arrests for publicly smoking marijuana.
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Over the weekend, de Blasio told the NYPD to instead issue summons as opposed to arresting people who are publicly smoking marijuana. Smoking publicly in New York currently can get you arrested. However, the New York police force has already started a group that’s working on its marijuana laws and enforcement procedures, according to CNN.
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The group will present its suggestions within the next 30 days to the mayor – per his request. If and when the said suggestions are confirmed it will take until the end of the summer for the new laws to go into effect.
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de Blasio has been adamant about changing policies for smoking marijuana publicly. According to NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Phil Walzak, the group is working diligently and public smoking is “certainly part of that review.”
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“The working group is reviewing possession and public smoking of marijuana to ensure enforcement is consistent with the values of fairness and trust, while also promoting public safety and addressing community concerns,” Walzak said.
