bill de blasio's new york

Weed Arrests Finally on the Decline in NYC

Photo: Stanimir G.Stoev/Shutterstock

The totally insane number of New Yorkers arrested for small-time marijuana possession — more than 36,700 per year from 1996 to 2011, when 50,700 people (mostly men of color) clogged the system — is continuing to go down, as promised by Mayor de Blasio. After dropping 34 percent in the first quarter of 2013, the start of this year saw another decrease of 9 percent. At this rate, we’ll be Colorado in no time (but with fewer Birkenstocks).

Weed Arrests Finally on the Decline in NYC