You Can Smoke Pot in NYC Without Being Arrested Beginning September 1

You can smoke pot in New York City without being arrested beginning September 1. It appears to be another step in the future of legalizing marijuana in the entire state. The City's Mayor, Police Chief, and District Attorney explained how they will handle pot possession and public smoking of marijuana going forward.

Beginning September 1, you will be issued a summons rather than arrested for smoking and possessing pot in the City. There are some exceptions to the rule, you will be subject to arrest if:

• you have no id or refuse to show id
  you're on probation or parole, have existing warrants or past violent crimes behavior presents an immediate threat to public safety like operating a vehicle

City administrators added they are working on a plan to expunge past convictions for smoking and possessing pot and will announce it in the coming weeks. This announcement comes on the heels of the New York Health Department's report that the pros outweigh the cons of legalizing marijuana. You can read more on the press conference at the Mayor's Office website or watch the video below.