If Marijuana Is Decriminalized in NYC, Then Why Are Possession Arrests on the Rise?
Since the 1970s, a weed decriminalization shift has swept the nation, and New York was one of the first states to jump on board with the passing of the Marijuana Reform Act in 1977. Still, New York’s marijuana-related arrest rate became the highest in the country—more than double the national average in 2013 with over 535 arrests per 100,000 people.
Two years ago, when Bill de Blasio announced a citywide policy change where officers would issue a summons instead of making arrests for someone in possession of 25 grams or less of marijuana, it drastically reduced the number of misdemeanor marijuana arrests almost instantaneously, which dropped 56 percent between 2014 and 2015 alone.
But according to new data by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, they’ve gone back up just as quickly. The numbers are based on NYPD arrests from the first three...
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