New York lawmakers agreed to legalize recreational use of marijuana

Lawmakers reached a deal on Saturday night to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana in New York City. The State Assembly and State Senate will vote on the legislation next week. At least 14 other states already allow residents to purchase marijuana for recreational purposes, not just medicinal.

Even though previous initiatives in New York City to approve its recreational use had failed in recent years, Democrats, who now have a veto-proof majority in the state legislature, have done so. of its approval a priority this year, and The administration of Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo has estimated that legalization could net the state around $ 350 million per year.

“My goal in enforcing this legislation has always been to end the racially disparate enforcement of the marijuana ban that has taken such heavy toll on communities of color across our state, and to use the financial gain. legalization to help heal and mend those same communities, ”said Senator Liz Krueger, sponsor of the bill and chair of the Senate finance committee.

Legalization would allow the sale of recreational marijuana to adults 21 and olderand establish an authorization process for the delivery of cannabis products to customers. New Yorkers will be able to grow up to three mature and three immature plants for personal consumption, and local governments can choose not to retail them.

The legislation would take effect immediately if passed, although sales will not begin until New York City sets the standards and establishes a cannabis council. Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes estimated on Friday that it would take between 18 months and two years for sales to begin.

Adam Goers, vice president of Columbia Care, a New York medical marijuana supplier interested in entering the recreational market, said the system proposed by New York would “ensure newcomers have a chance in the market” alongside sellers. Medical marijuana in the state. “There’s a big cake where a lot of different people are going to be able to be a part of it,” Goers said.

New York would introduce a 9% tax on cannabis sales, plus an additional 4% to be shared between the county and local government. It would also impose an additional tax based on the level of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, ranging from 0.5 cents per milligram for the flower to 3 cents per milligram for edibles.

New York would eliminate penalties for possession of less than 85 grams of cannabis and automatically clear the records of those previously convicted of marijuana-related crimes, who would no longer be penalized. It’s a step beyond a 2019 law that overturned many previous convictions for possession of marijuana and reduced the penalty for possession of small amounts.

And the state will provide loans, grants and incubation programs to encourage participation in the cannabis industry by people from minority communities, as well as smallholder farmers, women and disabled veterans.

Proponents of legalization say the measure could create thousands of jobs and will be used to start tackling “the racial injustice of a decades-long war on drugs that has touched many. disproportionately minority and poor communities ”.

Earlier efforts to legalize recreational use have been hampered by a lack of support from suburban Democrats, disagreements over how to distribute marijuana sales tax revenues, and questions about how to deal with drivers suspected of drive.

It has also faced opposition from those who warn that legalization would strain a health system already overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic and send conflicting messages to young people. “We are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the severe youth vaping crisis and the persistent opioid epidemic, this damaging legislation is counterproductive, ”read an open letter signed by the New State Medical Society. York, the New York State Parents and Teachers Association, the New York Marshals Association and other organizations on March 11.

New York City officials plan to launch an education and prevention campaign to reduce the risk of cannabis use among school-aged children, and schools could get grants for drug prevention and awareness programs .

And the state will also launch a study, to be conducted before Dec.31, 2022, that will examine how cannabis affects driving, and whether it depends on factors like weather and metabolism. “One of the things that no country in the world has and that everyone wants is a way to quickly and easily find out if someone is drugged or injured by cannabis,” said the psychologist at University of Buffalo and Professor of Community Health and Health Behavior R Lorraine Collins. “Research is underway to find systems capable of doing this. But I think these efforts will not bear fruit for a while ”.

The bill also sets aside revenue to cover the costs of everything from regulating marijuana to preventing drug addiction. State police could also raise funds to hire and train more than the so-called “drug recognition experts”.

But there is no evidence that drug recognition experts can tell whether someone is drugged or not, according to Collins, who was named a member of the 2018 Cuomo task force responsible for drafting the cannabis regulations. I think it’s very important that we address this issue. challenge using science and research and not baseless wishes or claims, ”Collins said.

Collins pointed to a 2020 American Civil Liberties Union report that found that African Americans are nearly four times more likely to be arrested for possession of marijuana than whites, according to FBI statistics.

“All New Yorkers should be concerned about how these laws will be enforced or how these pilot testing methods will be enforced in different communities,” Collins said. “It’s unlikely to be egalitarian.”

With AP information

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