New York passes law to legalize marijuana

New York legalized marijuana on Wednesday, with the legislature passing a bill and Gov. Andrew Cuomo signing it.

By law, people 21 years of age and older will be able to grow and consume marijuana. The state will also establish a regulated and legal marijuana market, with new tax revenue earmarked for drug education, treatment and prevention, and for communities disproportionately affected by the war on drugs. . And it will automatically clear criminal records for marijuana-related offenses that are no longer illegal.

The law was born after years of back and forth within the legislature. Cuomo spoke out in favor of legalization in 2018. But legislation has stalled as the governor and lawmakers clashed over the details of legalization, especially how the new tax revenue should be used. A breakthrough came as Cuomo was bogged down by scandals over his handling of Covid-19 and sexual harassment allegations against him, and after neighboring New Jersey legalized marijuana.

New York has allowed the use of medical marijuana since 2014. But the new law will expand the state’s medical marijuana program, allowing more medical conditions to qualify and allowing patients to smoke or vape. Drugs.

Marijuana remains illegal under federal law. But starting with the administration of former President Barack Obama, the federal government has generally allowed states to legalize cannabis with minimal federal interference.

With New York law, 15 states and Washington, DC, have now legalized recreational marijuana, although DC does not allow recreational sales. (Voters in South Dakota approved a voting initiative to legalize cannabis in November, but the future of the move is uncertain as it is caught up in legal battles.)

Advocates of legalization argue that it eliminates the harms of marijuana prohibition: the hundreds of thousands of arrests in the United States, the racial disparities behind those arrests, and the billions of dollars that go from the black market in marijuana illicit drug cartels who then consume them. money for violent operations around the world. All of this, advocates of legalization say, will outweigh any potential drawbacks – such as increased cannabis use – that could accompany legalization.

Opponents, meanwhile, say legalization will create a huge marijuana industry that will market the drug irresponsibly. They point to American experiences with the alcohol and tobacco industries in particular, which have built their financial empires largely on the backs of the heaviest consumers of their products. And they argue that ending Prohibition could cause many more people to use pot, which could lead to unintended adverse health consequences.

In New York, the proponents of legalization have triumphed.

For more on the marijuana legalization debate, read Vox’s explanation.