Marijuana May Soon Spark Just a Ticket in New York

New York City officials are considering issuing tickets for possession of small amounts of marijuana instead of arresting people, officials said.

The new guidelines would allow people with low-level marijuana possession to be issued a court summons rather than requiring them to get handcuffed, arrested, and brought into the precinct for finger-printing, the New York Times reports.

Police arrested some 50,000 people a year on minor marijuana charges during the administration of former Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Numerous states and localities have decriminalized marijuana for medical or recreational use in recent years.

[NYT]