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NEW JERSEY (FOX5NY.COM) - Jersey City, New Jersey, has decriminalized marijuana.
Under the new policy: possession, possession while in a motor vehicle, under the influence, use or possession with intent to use and loitering to obtain or distribute are now non-criminal dispositions.
Jersey City officials said that the disproportionate numbers of arrests of minorities were a major factor in the decision.
"In New Jersey, there are approximately 25,000 arrests a year for marijuana possession," Chief Municipal Prosecutor Jake Hudnut said. "Within those arrests, communities of color are three times more likely to be arrested and prosecuted for marijuana possession even though studies show that cross-racial usage of marijuana is even."
Officials said the new stance will also allow the courts to spend more time on cases with bigger threats to public safety.
Still, it is not a pot free-for-all. The change does not apply to driving while intoxicated. Also, Hudnut said officers will "use their discretion" if they see someone smoking marijuana publicly.
What about critics who disagree with the new policy?
"Public support is behind us for legalization. And in the meantime, I have a duty to serve the public," Hudnut said. "And I would not be doing that duty if I did not acknowledge this costly and racially disparate problem that is plaguing New Jersey."