YAKIMA, Wash.-- NBC Right Now continues to investigate the effects of Initiative 502.
Approved by voters just last month, I-502 makes it legal, for those 21 and older to smoke and possess up to an ounce of marijuana.
But just because it'll be legal to smoke pot, doesn't mean you can light up anywhere you want. Police say it'll still be illegal to smoke in public places, likes parks or on the street.
Before I-502 passed, it would have been a criminal offense to be caught carrying or smoking pot. But starting Thursday, if you're caught lighting up in public, police can only give you a ticket, not arrest you.
"If you're caught smoking it in public it's much like drinking in public. It's an infraction. It's a ticket that you would get with a monetary penalty of $103," said Capt. Rod Light with the Yakima Police Department.
Again, the new marijuana law only pertains to those 21-years-old and up. If you're under that age and caught with marijuana, you could still face misdemeanor or felony charges.
Also, it's still against the law to grow or sell marijuana until the state can decide how to implement that portion of I-502. The Liquor Control Board has until December 2013 to set up a system of stores to legally sell marijuana.
