HUFFINGTON POST: ….[Governor Andrew Cuomo] plans to meet with state lawmakers Monday, The New York Times reports, in an attempt to amend a state law that was the basis for the arrest of over 50,000 people in New York City last year, most of whom were black or Latino.
Under the current law, possession of 25 grams or less of marijuana shouldn’t result in arrest unless it’s “burning or in public view.” The NYPD, however, will often ask the hundreds of thousands they stop on the streets to empty their pockets, and when the marijuana comes out of the pocket, it becomes “in public view,” and they can make an arrest.
There are more arrests for low-level marijuana offenses than any other crime in New York City. According to the Associated Press, marijuana arrests in New York account for one out of every seven cases in the city’s criminal courts. In 2010, the city spent $75 million to put pot-smokers behind bars… (more)
