The winds are changing in the Windy City: On Sunday, the Cook County state attorney's office announced that it will no longer prosecute cases against people caught with small amounts of marijuana, provided they have fewer than three arrests or citations on their record. Residents of the Chicago area arrested for possessing small quantities of other, harder drugs can also expect a change in prosecution procedure that will focus on treatment over jail time.
A Chicago police spokesperson said the department welcomed the change, as it would allow officers to give greater attention to violent crimes. The state's attorney's office also noted that these new policies will only apply to future cases — and that the timing of the announcement to coincide with 4/20 was "pure coincidence."
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