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Amid Coronavirus, Push to Legalize Weed Reignites

Michael Rock by Michael Rock
May 20, 2020
in Health, Legislation/Policy
4
State Senator Brad Hoylman [photo provided by Avi Small]

State Senator Brad Hoylman [photo provided by Avi Small]

Though the coronavirus emergency threatened initial plans to legalize marijuana in New York State during the 2020 legislative session, a new, last-minute opportunity has emerged.

In a Thursday press release, State Senators Brad Hoylman (D-Midtown West, Chelsea, West Village), Jessica Ramos (D-Queens) and Jamaal Bailey (D-Bronx) joined the Legal Aid Society to tell Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) that New York “urgently need[s] marijuana legalization…rooted in racial and economic justice.”

The call comes amid reports of racial and class inequalities in coronavirus infection and mortality rates, as well as access to care for those who have it.

“Several people have been pointing out recently that the racial discrimination in marijuana arrests correlates with the disparate racial impact we are seeing with healthcare and police activity related to COVID-19 and social distancing enforcement,” said Senator Liz Krueger (D-Upper East Side), the chief sponsor of a senate bill that would legalize marijuana statewide. “They make a strong case that now is the time to fix our marijuana laws. My bill with Assm. [Crystal] Peoples-Stokes (D-Buffalo) is ready to move, and I would be happy to see it come to the floor as soon as possible.”

Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard N. Gottfried (D-Midtown, Chelsea), a cosponsor, agreed.

“After decades of a broken, racist prohibition model, it’s time to allow adult use of marijuana,” he said. “It is especially critical now, when petty marijuana enforcement has long targeted the same communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19.  Marijuana legalization is just one of the reasons the legislature should return to work as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, Ryan Lepore, Deputy Director of New York City NORML, emphasized the financial benefits legalization would allow amid the pandemic.

“Though complex – passing cannabis legalization is needed – the pandemic has only solidified cannabis’ importance in the framework of society – as consumers are still spending money on cannabis during the midst of economic hardship,” he noted. “Legalizing immediately could allow the state and city to capture missed tax revenue, create further means of employment and lighten the operational load on the criminal justice system.”

Still, some people think that legalizing marijuana could affect poor New Yorkers and New Yorkers of color more than the status quo.

“The rate of infection and death among blacks and Latinos is quite high, and smoking marijuana and vaping is related to lung injuries that may exacerbate COVID-related lung injuries,” said Dr. Kara Bagot, Medical Director of the Addiction Institute of Mt. Sinai-Center on Addiction (AIMS-CoA) Alliance and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine. “Selling, growing marijuana typically has a positive financial impact on whites, so people that have money can invest in businesses. People without criminal backgrounds. The argument that it has an economic benefit for minorities and those of lower socioeconomic status is sort of a false argument.”

Regardless, it is apparent that passing the bill will not be easy.

“Legalizing Cannabis does not happen overnight, and the COVID-19 pandemic will likely continue to affect our society past 2020, the approval of a regulated cannabis program – gets us closer to helping the communities that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and over-policing,” said Lepore. “Tax Revenue, Job Creation and a de-burdening on our criminal justice system are now needed more than ever – so immediately implementing a legal cannabis program would align with the state’s ability to recover in the coming years post-COVID-19.”

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Michael Rock

Michael Rock

Michael Rock is a lifelong resident of Manhattan. While a student at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, he became interested in writing and journalism when he started The Disaffected American: a blog of political and cultural commentary. He now has bylines in a number of local NYC publications, including New York County Politics, Our Town, Kings County Politics, Forward, and Chelsea Now.

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Comments 4

  1. Avatar Steve says:
    9 months ago

    NYS legislators expect the new cannabis industry to bring $300 million per year in tax revenue when fully rolled out. Which is great news for NY, right? Except that Senator Krueger who has been helping lead the way in cannabis reform has recently (March 12th) revised her bill S1527C to keep similar penalties for marijuana that are in place today. She can be seen speaking at a CannaGather event stating the NYS government spends upwards of $500 million on marijuana enforcement each year! This is a combination of monies spent on policing, prosecutions, and dept of corrections. How is it possible that we are willing to legalize but still spend more on enforcement costs than tax revenue brought in by this new industry, where is the social justice in that? Anyone following the politics of this process of bringing legalized cannabis to NYS has heard all these lawmakers claim “It’s about doing things right” for years now but yet they are willing to submit to the status quo. Whether you are a marijuana user or not does this make sense for our state? I personally don’t see how.

    If NY goes ahead with this legalization plan it will ruin all of the good it can make. I don’t know what the fix/answer is here as these lawmakers know our opinion on marijuana, polls show over 60% support marijuana legalization. This is a very complicated topic and an uncomfortable one for some but I think the people have spoken in both the polls and the simple fact that we won’t let anyone tell us we can’t use marijuana even after decades of war against us. You can keep locking the people/voters/tax payers away but we never let go of our herb, it only becomes more ingrained in our society.

    I come loaded with facts –

    Cost to house inmates in our county jails- County by county (My home county of Suffolk the cost comes in just under $140,000 per yr!)
    https://jlusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/FREEnewyork-ByTheNumbers_final.pdf

    Governor Cuomo’s Bill – Cannabis Regulation & Taxation Act (CRTA 2.0)
    https://www.budget.ny.gov/pubs/archive/fy21/exec/artvii/revenue-bill.pdf

    Senator Krueger’s Bill – S1527C Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act (MRTA)
    https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/s1527

    Senator Krueger can be seen speaking about the cost of Cannabis enforcement costs at 1:21:30 of the video
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VslZUoRFEmo

    Reply
  2. Avatar Steve says:
    9 months ago

    Aside from legalization of recreational marijuana; we need medical marijuana to be legalized for Federal employees.

    How sad is it, that the general public has access to medical marijuana as well as recreational marijuana, yet federal employees are suffering the burden of having to choose between employment and health.

    *Federal* *legalization* of medical marijuana needs to be implemented NATIONWIDE.

    Reply
  3. Avatar Bob Sackamento says:
    9 months ago

    If marijuana legalization is so “complicated” maybe Cuomo can save money by cutting the police force’s drug enforcement budget to $0. New York dope cops can make themselves useful delivering mail and the state can benefit from the extra money.

    Reply
  4. Avatar Ed Chenette says:
    4 months ago

    I’m not black, lost my job at the Postal Service, for using/selling to a girl that was performing felacio on me 4 pot, consequently loosing my job. Did I mention, she was an informant. USPS Inspection Service. I’m a member of NYSMMP also.

    Reply

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