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u.s. news Dialuna 29 Maart 2021

New York lawmakers agree to legalize recreational marijuana

(AP) — New York is
poised to join a growing
number of states that have
legalized marijuana after
state lawmakers reached
a deal to allow sales of the
drug for recreational use.

The agreement reached Sat-
urday, which is expected
to be signed into law in the
coming days, would expand
the state’s existing medical
marijuana program and set
up a a licensing and taxation
system for recreational sales.
It has taken years for the
state’s lawmakers to come to
a consensus on how to legal-
ize recreational marijuana in
New York. Democrats, who
now wield a veto-proof ma-
jority in the state Legislature,
have made passing it a prior-
ity this year, and Democratic lot of different folks are going Fontier, managing director pointed to growing accep- a study due by Dec. 31, 2022,
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s ad- to be able to be a part of it,” of Neighborhood Defender tance of legalization in the that examines the extent that
ministration has estimated Goers said. Service of Harlem, said in a Northeast, including in Mas- cannabis impairs driving, and
legalization could eventually New York would set a 9% statement Saturday. sachusetts, Maine and most whether it depends on factors
bring the state about $350 sales tax on cannabis, plus Some other states that have recently, New Jersey. like time and metabolism.
million annually. an additional 4% tax split legalized recreational mari- New York does not have a The bill also sets aside rev-
“My goal in carrying this between the county and lo- juana have struggled to ad- statewide referendum pro- enues to cover the costs of
legislation has always been cal government. It would dress the inequities that the cess as California and Mas- everything from regulat-
to end the racially disparate also impose an additional tax drug wars have wrought. sachusetts do, so only the ing marijuana, to substance
enforcement of marijuana based on the level of THC, Three years after Massachu- Legislature has the power to abuse prevention.
prohibition that has taken the active ingredient in mari- setts voters passed a ballot legalize recreational mari- State police could also get
such a toll on communities juana, ranging from 0.5 cents initiative making recreational juana, as it did with same-sex funding to hire and train
of color across our state, and per milligram for flower to 3 cannabis legal in the state, marriage in 2011. more so-called “drug recog-
to use the economic windfall cents per milligram for edi- Black entrepreneurs com- Past efforts to legalize recre- nition experts.”
of legalization to help heal bles. plained in 2019 that all but ational use have been hurt by But there’s no evidence that
and repair those same com- two of Massachusetts’ 184 a lack of support from sub- drug recognition experts can
munities,” Sen. Liz Krueger, New York would eliminate marijuana business licenses urban Democrats, disagree- tell whether someone is high
Senate sponsor of the bill and penalties for possession of had been issued to white op- ments over how to distribute or not, according to Collins,
chair of the Senate’s finance less than three ounces of can- erators. marijuana sales tax revenue who was appointed to Cuo-
committee, said. nabis, and automatically ex- California voters legalized and questions over how to mo’s 2018 working group
The legislation would allow punge records of people with recreational marijuana sales address drivers suspected of tasked with drafting cannabis
recreational marijuana sales past convictions for mari- in 2016 as well and invited driving high. regulations.
to adults over the age of 21, juana-related offenses that people to petition to have old It also has run into opposi- “I think it’s very important
and set up a licensing process would no longer be crimi- marijuana convictions ex- tion from law enforcement, that we approach that chal-
for the delivery of cannabis nalized. That’s a step beyond punged or reduced. But rela- school and community advo- lenge using science and re-
products to customers. In- a 2019 law that expunged tively few people took advan- cates, who warn legalization search and not wishes or un-
dividual New Yorkers could many past convictions for tage of the provision initially. would further strain a health substantiated claims,” Col-
grow up to three mature and marijuana possession and Criminal justice reform ad- care system already over- lins said.
three immature plants for reduced the penalty for pos- vocates said New York’s bill whelmed by the coronavirus Collins pointed to a 2020
personal consumption, and sessing small amounts. avoids that problem by set- pandemic and send mixed report from the American
local governments could opt And New York would pro- ting up a process for mari- messages to young people. Civil Liberties Union that
out of retail sales. vide loans, grants and incu- juana convictions to be auto- “We are in the midst of the found that Blacks are almost
The legislation would take bator programs to encourage matically expunged. COVID-19 pandemic, and four times more likely to be
effect immediately if passed, participation in the cannabis with the serious crisis of arrested for marijuana pos-
though sales wouldn’t start industry by people from mi- “We are very happy that the youth vaping and the con- session compared to Whites,
until New York sets up nority communities, as well bill includes automatic ex- tinuing opioid epidemic, this based on FBI statistics.
rules and a proposed canna- as small farmers, women and pungement. It’s integral to harmful legislation is coun- “Every New Yorker should be
bis board. Assembly Major- disabled veterans. addressing past harms,” said terintuitive,” said an open let- concerned about how these
ity Leader Crystal Peoples- Proponents have said the Emma Goodman, an attor- ter signed by the Medical So- laws will be implemented or
Stokes estimated Friday it move could create thou- ney at the Legal Aid Society. ciety of the State of NY, New how those ways of examining
could take 18 months to two sands of jobs and begin to Melissa Moore, the Drug York State Parent Teacher As- drivers will be implemented
years for sales to start. address the racial injustice of Policy Alliance’s director for sociation, New York Sheriff’s in different communities,”
Adam Goers, a vice presi- a decades-long drug war that New York state, said the bill Association and several other Collins said. “It’s not likely
dent of Columbia Care, a disproportionately targeted “really puts a nail in the coffin organizations March 11. to be equal.”
New York medical marijuana minority and poor commu- of the drug war that’s been so New York officials plan to The bill allows cities, towns
provider that’s interested in nities. devastating to communities launch an education and pre- and villages to opt out of al-
getting into the recreational across New York, and puts in vention campaign aimed at lowing adult-use cannabis
market, said New York’s pro- “Police, prosecutors, child place comprehensive policies reducing the risk of cannabis retail dispensaries or on-site
posed system would “ensure services and ICE have used that are really grounded in among school-aged children, consumption licenses by
newcomers have a crack at criminalization as a weapon community reinvestment.” and schools could get grants passing a local law by Dec.
the marketplace” alongside against them, and the impact At least 14 other states already for anti-vaping and drug pre- 31, 2021 or nine months after
the state’s existing medical this bill will have on the lives allow residents to buy mari- vention and awareness pro- the effective date of the leg-
marijuana providers. of our oversurveiled clients juana for recreational and not grams. islation. They cannot opt out
“There’s a big pie in which a cannot be overstated,” Alice just medical use. Cuomo has And the state will also launch of legalization.