The number of arrests made due to the possession of marijuana may be reduced as a new policy may be launched in the near future.

The NYPD and Mayor de Blasio are reportedly prepared to initiate a change in policy that will have police stop arresting people for low-level possession of marijuana and will instead issue tickets, according to The NY Post.

De Blasio had reportedly campaigned last year vowing to stop police stop-and-frisk practices, in which 700,000 persons, mostly young minority men, were detained and questioned on the street, according to the website Bloomberg.com. Tens of thousands of these practices, which were criticized by de Blasio, reportedly led to arrests for marijuana possession.

Law enforcement sources have reportedly stated that the "powers that be," including City Hall, wanted to see a decrease in arrests for marijuana in NYC because they have "disastrous consequences" on police relations with minorities. Black and Hispanic people have reportedly accounted for 86% of low-level marijuana arrests this year, according to the Marijuana Research Project.

"We are troubled not just by the overall number of arrests, but also by the racial disparities reflected in the arrests," five city council members wrote in an October 31 letter to de Blasio.

De Blasio reportedly plans to meet with NYC's five district attorneys this week, according to The New York Times. Some are disagreeing with the need for the new policy; Brooklyn DA Kenneth Thompson has reportedly expressed disapproval for the change in policy.

News of the altered policy has brought up the issue of the legalization of marijuana in NYC amongst social media users.

"NYC bout to stop arrests for marijuana, can everyone just legalize and be done with it already," wrote Twitter user Tyler.

Fellow Twitter user added, "New #NYC weed policy a step forward but time for NYC to fully legalize recreational pot for adults."