On Tuesday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner James O'Neill announced a new policy change regarding marijuana enforcement throughout the city. In a press release, the Mayor's office stated that beginning on September 1, 2018, individuals caught smoking marijuana in public will receive a criminal summons instead of an immediate arrest. This excludes certain factors, including people with existing criminal warrants, or those who pose an immediate threat to public safety. Through a combined effort from the mayor's office and the NYPD, this new policy is a recommendation from the 30 Day Working Group on Marijuana Enforcement. A separate mayoral task force is already underway to determine if New York State should move forward with a proposal to legalize marijuana. The task force is expected to release their report in 2019.
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