Syracuse, NY -- New York just adopted a law that decriminalizes the vast majority of marijuana use. But don’t plan on lighting up a joint in Clinton Square anytime soon.

That’s because possessing small amounts of pot is still against the law under the legislation signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday. There’s a difference between decriminalizing marijuana and legalizing it.

There’s no question that the new law promises sweeping changes. You can now possess up to 2 ounces of pot without being charged with a misdemeanor. That’s more than twice the amount you could possess before without being charged with a crime.

But even a single joint (as little as 0.01 ounces) is still a violation. That means that it’s considered against the law, even though a conviction does not go on your criminal record. Similar violations include drinking in a motor vehicle or carrying an open alcoholic container in public.

Police officers can still ticket you for using marijuana. If you smoke in public, that could still land you in court.

“A simple way to avoid that encounter is don’t smoke pot in public,” said Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, noting marijuana still isn’t legal. “We’re not there yet.”

Keep marijuana out of public sight, advised David Condliffe, executive director of the Center for Community Alternatives, which helps people with criminal convictions.

So what gives? Here’s a breakdown of the new law and the risks of openly using marijuana:

Fines: The biggest risk in getting ticketed for marijuana use is being fined. The fine for a small amount (under 1 ounce) is a maximum of $50. The fine for a larger, personal amount (under 2 ounces) is a maximum of $100. Higher quantities still result in criminal (misdemeanor or felony) charges.

Court: Even a ticket for marijuana possession, under the new law, could land you in court. That’s because your ticket may require you to answer the violation, even if the charge is dismissed. Whether you have to appear or not could vary from place to place. In Onondaga County, the DA’s office has opted not to pursue charges against anyone ticketed for small amounts of marijuana. But other counties may have their own rules.

Don’t grow or sell: It’s still illegal to grow or sell marijuana. The new law doesn’t tackle the longstanding black market. The only legal way to obtain it is to go to a state that sells it legally (like Massachusetts) and bring it back. Of course, passing through states where possession is still a crime (like driving back from Colorado) comes with its own risks, too.

Don’t bring it back from Canada: Even though marijuana is legal in Canada, bringing it back over the border is a huge no-no. That’s because the U.S. federal government still sees marijuana as a crime. And the feds control the borders. Bringing marijuana over the border could land you in federal prison.

Police encounter: If an officer believes you are smoking marijuana, that provides rationale to begin a limited police encounter. Fitzpatrick said it’s similar to being caught with an open alcoholic beverage in your vehicle. The officer has a right to pat you down (for officer safety) and to ask you questions, but would not have the right to do a thorough search of your person or your property. Still, it may be enough to provide a rationale for further intrusions if you don’t follow orders or an officer spots something else while investigating.

Driving: Operating a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana remains a misdemeanor under current law dealing with any drugs outside of alcohol. But it’s much harder to determine whether marijuana was a contributing factor to impaired driving, because the mind-altering chemical THC stays in your system for a month. It’s unclear whether that would work for or against a defendant in court: “Did he smoke that day? Did he smoke a month ago?" Fitzpatrick said of the question at hand.

Traffic stops: The smell of marijuana is still probable cause for an officer to pull someone over. And the officer can order you and your occupants out and search the vehicle for the marijuana, Fitzpatrick said. Anything else they find that’s illegal can be used against you, too.

Smoking in public: The new law places marijuana in the state’s public health code, outlawing it anywhere smoking is prohibited.. Think about smoking marijuana like drinking an alcoholic beverage: in a private home is probably OK, in public often not.

No record: A silver lining if you are caught using marijuana is that your violation A silver lining if you are caught using marijuana is that your violation can’t be used against you later. Under law, all violations are non-criminal offenses that don’t appear on your public criminal history. But the new law takes this further for marijuana violations: any record of your ticketing, court appearances, prosecution or plea are also sealed. That means that the entire episode should not appear in police records or court files, let alone in public databases. You can truthfully say you’ve never been arrested or convicted of any offense, criminal or otherwise.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story quoted Onondaga County DA William Fitzpatrick saying that the smell of marijuana was not enough for police to search someone’s car. In fact, Fitzpatrick corrected himself, the smell of marijuana can lead to a vehicle search. The story has been corrected.