Marijuana legalization fight heats up at Capitol

By Brendan J. Lyons

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Photo: Lori Van Buren, Albany Times Union

Smart Approaches to Marijuana New York (SAM NY) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former drug policy advisor to President Obama, speaks during a press conference at the New York State Capitol 

 

ALBANY — Groups opposed to the legalization of recreational marijuana in New York gathered at the Capitol on Monday and urged lawmakers to reconsider the idea, stressing that it would likely lead to increased illegal use by school-age children.

Kevin Sabet, a former advisor to ex-President Barack Obama, said today's strains of marijuana are much more potent than those that were available 40 years ago, and that the multitude of ways it can be consumed — including "edibles" like baked goods and candy — make abuse more likely.

"There are more pot shops in Colorado than McDonald's and Starbucks combined," Sabet said. "There are more folks from the tobacco and pharma industries involved in this industry of marijuana than we've ever had. ... So we're saying let's slow this train down."

Sabet was joined at the Capitol by representatives of the state PTA, the Police Conference of New York and representatives of groups that deal with drug and alcohol addiction. He noted that New York would be the first state to legalize marijuana use for adults through legislative action rather than a public vote.

"There's a reason why other legislatures have said no to this," he said. "Let's not throw people in prison for pot — we'll agree with many people on that issue — but let's also not consign our kids to a lifetime of addiction."

An hour after Sabet made his remarks, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo held a press conference touting an aggressive agenda that has led to passage in the past month of measures including women's reproductive health protections, stricter gun laws and the Child Victims Act, which aids victims of childhood sexual abuse. Cuomo noted that legalization of marijuana, which many Democratic lawmakers have resisted, is still a priority that he wants to accomplish in the first 100 days of the year.

Cuomo's proposal, introduced in his executive budget, would allow access only to those 21 and older, automatically seal marijuana offenses on a person's criminal record, and generate what he said would be an estimated $300 million in new tax revenues.

The governor's plan would tax the cultivation of cannabis at a rate of $1 per dry weight gram of cannabis flower and 25 cents per dry weight gram of cannabis trim. There would also be a tax on the wholesaler to a retail dispensary at a rate of 20 percent of the invoice price. A third tax — 2 percent — would be imposed on the sale of the invoice price.

Opponents claim legalized marijuana has not been a panacea or led to meaningful revenues in other states that have already allowed it to be sold from government-regulated retail stores.

The governor's plan will not allow New Yorkers to grow their own marijuana for recreational use.

It will, however, allow home cultivation for medical use — a provision many advocates say is necessary to ensure access given the high cost of products in stores and lack of insurance coverage.