The city of New York is taking measures to close any loopholes that may undermine the rights granted in the new legislation.
The smell of burnt and unburnt marijuana alone is no longer cause for New York Police Department officers to search vehicles, according a new NYPD memorandum. … Driving under the influence of cannabis, smoking while driving and the sale of the drug are still illegal, according to the memo. In a memo regarding the sale, possession, and consumption of marijuana by those 21 and older, the NYPD is holding off on performing vehicle searches based on the smell of weed. “Effective immediately, the smell of marijuana alone no longer establishes [a] probable cause of a crime to search a vehicle,” the memo reads. “This change applies to both burnt and unburnt marijuana.”
These sweeping changes were announced just a day after Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill legalizing recreational marijuana in New York, making it the 16th state to do so.
“This is a historic day in New York — one that rights the wrongs of the past by putting an end to harsh prison sentences, embraces an industry that will grow the Empire State’s economy, and prioritizes marginalized communities so those that have suffered the most will be the first to reap the benefits,” Cuomo said in a statement.