Chicago pot arrests more likely than fines despite new law: study

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Chicago pot arrests more likely than fines despite new law: study

By Mary Wisniewski CHICAGO (Reuters) - Chicago police are still far more likely to arrest people caught with small amounts of marijuana than ticket them as allowed under a 2012 ordinance intended to promote the more lenient penalties, a study released on Monday found. Ninety-three percent of misdemeanor marijuana possession violations in 2013 resulted in arrest in the nation's third-largest city, while 7 percent resulted in tickets, a study by Roosevelt University's Illinois Consortium on Drug Policy found. The study shows some of the difficulties that can come with implementing a new drug policy, even as more states and cities soften their approach to marijuana. In Chicago, police may issue a citation for a fine of $250 to $500 for possession of small amounts of marijuana, 15 grams (0.5 ounce) or less, instead of making an arrest.

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