What should I do about a drug citation while on vacation?

A few friends and I were on vacation and we got busted with some marijuana (less than half an ounce). We were on our way to a music festival in Tennessee and got selected for a random search. They told us if we just gave them what we had, they'd let us off with only a ticket, so we did. I'm really concerned this citation will ruin my chances of becoming a nurse, so I'm really unsure of what to do. I live in New York, so it would be hard for me to get back to TN just for court, but I also don't want to just pay it. How much is this going to impact my life?