It's not exactly legalization, but in New York City it could become the next best thing: tickets for marijuana possession instead of arrests.

According to a report on Sunday from The New York Times, the New York Police Department (NYPD) is planning to announce new guidelines that would allow those found in possession of small amounts of marijuana to walk away with a ticket instead of spending time in handcuffs.

The change in policy could have wide-ranging effects in a city known for arresting thousands citizens each year for marijuana possession.

If true, the change in policy could also have a significant impact on the city's black and Hispanic community, which some studies say are disproportionately affected by the police department's current marijuana arrest policy.

The upcoming shift in enforcement, which the report says is something of a throwback to the city's policy in the late '70s, comes just days after Alaska, Oregon and Washington D.C. voted to legalize cannabis, joining Colorado and Washington, events that may point toward a national trend.