In New York City, possession of cannabis has been decriminalized but not legalized. Possession of up to 25 grams of cannabis may result in a $100 violation (similar to a traffic ticket) for a first offense. A second offense is $200, a third offense is $250 and a possible 15-day stint in jail.
Possession of up to 25 grams (3/4 of an ounce) will get you a $100 ticket on a first offense. Public use can get you thrown in jail.
Public use (“burning”) is a misdemeanor punishable by a $250 fine and up to 90 days in jail.
However, there are different types of “illegality” in the city.
If you are a white person moving about the city with a small amount of cannabis, you’re unlikely to encounter any problems. If you are a person of color, it’s a different story. That’s offensive and outrageous, but it’s a fact. (See yesterday’s installment in this series for a further discussion of that problem.)