New York decriminalized the use of marijuana last year, downgrading the criminal penalty for the unlawful possession of weed from a misdemeanor to a fine. But NYPD officers can, and still do, arrest people for incidents related to marijuana use, including, for instance, if the suspect is deemed a threat to law enforcement.
Article source: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/video-nypd-canarsie-brooklyn-arrest-marijuana_n_5e6125e6c5b69d641c0c4047