‘High’ tolerance: NYC on the road to decriminalizing pot

The New York Post ^ | May 12, 2013 | Brad Hamilton

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

New York City is going green — with ganja.

Pot arrests and seizures are plummeting as low-level offenders duck jail and cops ease off dealers, who are racking up record profits, police sources say.

Gov. Cuomo vowed in January to wipe out the lowest marijuana charge — fifth-degree criminal possession — for those caught lighting up in public or flashing their stash.

The crime, which currently calls for an arrest if the pot is in public view or weighs more than 25 grams, accounted for 149,951 of 155,048 marijuana busts in New York City since 2010 — 99.2 percent of the total.

Had Cuomo’s plan been in place last year, it could have eliminated 39,257 of the 40,661 arrests.

But even without the Cuomo proposal yet etched in law, an unprecedented reduction in enforcement has already begun.

Marijuana arrests in the city plunged 22 percent last year — to 40,661 from 52,220 in 2011 — and are on pace for another 20 percent decline this year, according to data from the state Division of Criminal Justice Services.

Decriminalization gathered steam in February, when Mayor Bloomberg announced that NYPD cops would now merely ticket those charged with fifth-degree possession, instead of tossing them in jail.

But it’s not just the casual user who’s catching a break.

Kingpins are also skating.

Figures show that in Manhattan and Brooklyn, police have nailed just three dealers this year for first-degree criminal possession of marijuana — a felony for sellers apprehended with 10 pounds or more.

That’s way down from the 28 such peddlers cops locked up in those boroughs last year.

One source said some NYPD detectives have been told to back off dealers because they’re considered a lower priority than those hawking pills, cocaine and heroin.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Getting-rid-of-War-on-Drugs-Nanny-State PING!

[Still Thinking]

Can I get it in a 20-oz container?

[Vince Ferrer]

There is only so much tax money you can get from cigarettes.

[miss marmelstein]

...or returning NYC back to the 1970s. At least then, you could openly smoke cigarettes.

[Smokin' Joe]

I heard dope dealers were moving from Colorado (legal there, at least under State law) to NY, where it is still illegal and commands a much higher price...

We live in interesting times. If nothing else, there should be some idea of the local consequences of legalization in the areas it has been legalized, and the spin off (and unintentional) effects on other areas.

[Gabz]

But goodness help you if you light a “legal” tobacco cigarette...........

[palmer]

My rural part of Virginia has de facto decriminalization. Having pot or paraphernalia can get you arrested but rarely does. Usually these are kids in cars and are asked to snitch but mostly sent on their way. It seems that possession is a law that few want to enforce anymore.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[CSM]

While I lean libertarian on the WOsD, I get very confused by the liberl hypocracy between marijuana and tobacco. After thinking about it for a bit, I have concluded that marijuana is to America as we slide into Tyranny what vodka was to the residents of the USSR while they wallowed in tyranny.

A drunk or stoned public cares little about fighting back.