Title:Marijuana Legalization: What Is Decriminalization and Could New York Get Legal Weed?

Arrests for the possession of small amounts of marijuana in New York City might soon become a thing of the past. Mayor Bill de Blasio is preparing to instruct police to stop arresting people caught smoking in the city,  according to the New York Daily News.

纽约市拥有少量大麻的逮捕可能很快会成为过去。据纽约每日新闻报道，布拉西奥市长正准备指示警察停止逮捕在城里吸烟的人。

The move is part of a broad plan to change law enforcement in the city but could also be a move to prepare for imminent legalization.  "We must end unnecessary arrests and end disparity in enforcement,"  de Blasio tweeted Tuesday.

这一举措是改变城市执法的广泛计划的一部分，但也可能是为即将实现合法化做准备的举措。

It's been more than 40 years since New York state made the punishment for the personal possession of 25 grams or less of marijuana a $100 fine on first offense. The penalty isn't even a misdemeanor, according to the  National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

自从纽约州对个人拥有25克或更少大麻进行第一次犯法处罚以来，已经40多年了。根据改正大麻法的国家组织,这种惩罚甚至不是轻罪.

Yet the number of people, particularly those of color, arrested for possession has remained high, something the mayor is trying to address in New York City. A 2013 state law finally brought down the number of arrests the New York City Police Department was making,  according to the New York Post. But in that time, the number of tickets issued for possession increased drastically while some arrests were still being made.

然而，由于占有而被捕的人数，特别是那些肤色的人，仍然很多，市长试图在纽约市发表讲话。根据纽约邮报，2013年的州法最终减少了纽约市警察局正在实施的逮捕次数。但在那段时间，由于持有的票数急剧增加，同时仍有一些人被捕。

Legalization in the state of New York would allow for the possession and smoking of legal marijuana in certain areas under particular circumstances. Decriminalization simply makes possession or smoking less of a criminal offense. In states where the drug has been decriminalized, people caught with marijuana for the first time are no longer meant to be jailed or given a criminal record.

纽约州的合法化允许在特定情况下某些地区拥有和吸食合法大麻，而取消刑罪只会使拥有或吸烟行为减轻刑事犯罪。在毒品非刑罪化的各州，第一次被抓获大麻的人已不再被监禁或刑事记录了。

While possession might be decriminalized or legal in some states, it is still illegal to sell the drug. This effectively keeps purchasing the drug illegal and selling in the hands of criminal organizations rather than large corporations. In New York, for example, selling as little as two grams of marijuana can result in a misdemeanor and up to three months in prison along with fines.

虽然在一些州占有该药物可能非刑事化或合法化，但出售该药物仍然是非法的。这实际上使购买毒品成为非法的，并让犯罪组织而不是大公司来销售。比如，在纽约，卖到只有两克大麻才能导致轻罪，加上罚款，最多只能监禁三个月。

Complete legalization in New York might include the rules around the sale of the drug as well. De Blasio is considering creating a task force to help build the structure around legalization, including zoning for dispensaries,  according to the Daily News.

纽约完全合法化也可以包括有关销售毒品的规则。根据《每日新闻》报道，De Blasio正在考虑设立一个工作队，帮助建立合法化方面的结构，包括为医务室划区。

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Elizabeth Croydon hands out free marijuana joints to DC residents who worked on Capitol Hill as part of the 1st Annual Joint Session to mark '4/20' day and promote legalizing marijuana on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, April 20, 2017.   Saul Loeb/Getty Images

Elizabeth Croydon向在国会山上工作的DC居民免费发放大麻，作为2017年4月20日华盛顿市国会山上的“4/20”年度联席会议的一部分，并促进将大麻合法化。