(CNN) -- The Chicago City Council approved a measure on Wednesday that allows police to issue citations for those carrying small amounts of marijuana rather than make arrests. It's the latest follow through by U.S. officials to decrease penalties associated with the drug. The ordinance, which was modified from a 2011 plan, would afford city police officers the discretion to issue a citation for those carrying up to 15 grams of marijuana. Offenders would face a fine that ranges from $250 to $500. "The result is an ordinance that allows us to observe the law, while reducing the processing time for minor possession of marijuana -- ultimately freeing up police officers for the street," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement.

In 1977,
New York's legislature reduced the penalty for possessing 25 grams or less of marijuana to a noncriminal violation carrying a fine of no more than $100 for first-time offenders -- as long as the marijuana was in private possession and not in public view.