Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants lawmakers to reduce the penalties for people who are busted with small amounts of drugs.

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He feels people shouldn't have to carry a petty crime around with them for the rest of their lives.

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He adds people who have less than 15-grams of marijuana on them shouldn't always be arrested.

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He says the state needs to get smarter, not tougher, in its approach to crime.

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Emanuel says reducing the penalties will free up resources and keep officers on the street so they can deal with more serious crimes. The city of Chicago allows its officers to write tickets for people who are busted with less than 15-grams of marijuana. They've seen about 41-hundred fewer arrests, a significant reduction in burglary, and a drop in racial disparity when it comes to marijuana citations in the last two years. Emanuel says the state would see similar results if lawmakers put the same type of law on the books.