Bloomberg: Marijuana Arrests In NYC Will Mean A Desk Appearance Ticket, Not A Night In Jail

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Thursday during his final State of the City address that those caught with “small amounts” of marijuana will no longer have to endure an overnight stay in lockup.

The following transcript comes from WNYC:
 “But we know that there’s more we can do to keep New Yorkers, particularly young men, from ending up with a criminal record. Commissioner Kelly and I support Governor Cuomo’s proposal to make possession of small amounts of marijuana a violation, rather than a misdemeanor and we’ll work to help him pass it this year. But we won’t wait for that to happen.
“Right now, those arrested for possessing small amounts of marijuana are often held in custody overnight. We’re changing that. Effective next month, anyone presenting an ID and clearing a warrant check will be released directly from the precinct with a desk appearance ticket to return to court. It’s consistent with the law, it’s the right thing to do  and it will allow us to target police resources where they’re needed most.”
In January, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed decriminalizing possession of up to 15 grams of marijuana.
Although several states last year voted to legalize marijuana, for cultivation, recreational and medicinal use, the plant is still regarded by the Drug Enforcement Agency as a Schedule I narcotic, despite the fact that the current commander-in-chief two-times running has professed his own habitual use of the “drug.”
Could NYC lawmakers finally be figuring out that the War on Drugs is a complete and total failure, an outright fraud meant to waste tax payer dollars and jail space? Or are citizens simply being granted a trivial right so that more egregious crimes can continue taking place below the radar?
By Infowars.com