A new memorandum issued to officers of the NYPD (New York Police Department) has instructed police not to stop individuals smoking weed in public.

On Wednesday, New York signed the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) into law, legalizing adult recreational cannabis statewide. Under the MRTA, smoking marijuana outside in public places including parks, sidewalks, and in front of homes and businesses “is not a basis for an approach, stop, summons, arrest or, search.” Under this new legislation, police also “may not approach, stop or detain a parolee based on their use or possession of lawful amounts of marijuana”.