A cannabis plant
Tikun Olam
Albany, New York --After the failure to
include legalized adult use cannabis in the New York State budget
earlier this year, sponsors of the legislation say they are introducing a
new bill that they hope stands a better chance at becoming law.
Democratic Manhattan Senator Liz Krueger, who is a
longtime supporter of legalizing marijuana says "the new bill
incorporates some of the ideas the governor and legislature came up with
when they talked about the issue during the budget talks," according to
Karen DeWitt of WAMC radio.
“We’ve attempted to take all of the negotiated agreements that took place during budget negotiations and expand our bill,” said Krueger.
The bill includes the establishment of a single government unit to manage and regulate all cannabis-related products, including hemp and CBD products, which are ubiquitous but are unregulated.
After pricey CBD coffees and smoothies began to
appear in trendy cafes, the state cracked down. CBD is currently not
allowed to be added to food by restaurants because it is considered an
unregulated drug.
Buffalo Democrat and the Assembly sponsor, Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, says the measure still includes a social equity provision she has long championed. A portion of the tax revenue from the sale of cannabis products will be allocated to the communities who have been detrimentally affected by the decades-long, failed war on drugs.
Cannabis was officially decriminalized in New York in 1977. Possession of 25 grams or less of marijuana is an infraction that generates a $100 fine. However, possession in public view remains a misdemeanor. Civil rights advocates believe that this loophole is used to justify unfair arrests in communities of color.
“A certain percentage of it will go towards communities that have been negatively impacted by mass incarceration,” Peoples-Stokes said.
She says there would also be money to help law enforcement officers enforce safe driving regulations.
“And a certain percentage of it would go for research, drug prevention and treatment,” Peoples-Stokes added.
Additionally, the bill would seal the criminal records of citizens convicted of misdemeanor marijuana related charges. This provision appears to be a compromise from the mass expungement measure supported by the Drug Policy Alliance. Other cities have already begun mass expungement for low-level cannabis crimes with help from the non-profit organization Code For America.
According to WAMC, Senator Krueger says the Senate currently does not have enough votes to pass the measure, and she’s hoping the Assembly will approve it first. She also wants Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, who unconvincingly says he backs legalized marijuana to help convince ambivalent Senators.
“And then I can try to make the case that people who might have been scared away when it dropped out of the budget should come back to vote for it,” says Krueger
Peoples-Stokes seems to think that idea is tolerable.
“It’s not something that we are adverse to,” Peoples- Stokes said. “We will look to do that this time.”
Cuomo says he is reluctant to persuade people to vote for it if they would rather not. The governor spoke on Rochester public radio station WXXI’s program, Connections with Evan Dawson on May 10.
“I support it,” Cuomo sad. “But if they are starting to suggest that I need to twist arms, then that’s bad sign. Because arm twisting doesn’t work. And it means they don’t have the political support.”
Cuomo came out in support of marijuana
in the 11th hour of the governor's race, to eviscerate his opponent's
campaign. Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon, ran on a legalization
platform. Therefore, his true intention regarding cannabis is
questionable.“We’ve attempted to take all of the negotiated agreements that took place during budget negotiations and expand our bill,” said Krueger.
The bill includes the establishment of a single government unit to manage and regulate all cannabis-related products, including hemp and CBD products, which are ubiquitous but are unregulated.
CBD's rise in popularity as a food and beverage additive is currently unregulated by the FDA.
Sara Brittany SomersetBuffalo Democrat and the Assembly sponsor, Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, says the measure still includes a social equity provision she has long championed. A portion of the tax revenue from the sale of cannabis products will be allocated to the communities who have been detrimentally affected by the decades-long, failed war on drugs.
Cannabis was officially decriminalized in New York in 1977. Possession of 25 grams or less of marijuana is an infraction that generates a $100 fine. However, possession in public view remains a misdemeanor. Civil rights advocates believe that this loophole is used to justify unfair arrests in communities of color.
“A certain percentage of it will go towards communities that have been negatively impacted by mass incarceration,” Peoples-Stokes said.
She says there would also be money to help law enforcement officers enforce safe driving regulations.
“And a certain percentage of it would go for research, drug prevention and treatment,” Peoples-Stokes added.
Additionally, the bill would seal the criminal records of citizens convicted of misdemeanor marijuana related charges. This provision appears to be a compromise from the mass expungement measure supported by the Drug Policy Alliance. Other cities have already begun mass expungement for low-level cannabis crimes with help from the non-profit organization Code For America.
According to WAMC, Senator Krueger says the Senate currently does not have enough votes to pass the measure, and she’s hoping the Assembly will approve it first. She also wants Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, who unconvincingly says he backs legalized marijuana to help convince ambivalent Senators.
“And then I can try to make the case that people who might have been scared away when it dropped out of the budget should come back to vote for it,” says Krueger
Peoples-Stokes seems to think that idea is tolerable.
“It’s not something that we are adverse to,” Peoples- Stokes said. “We will look to do that this time.”
Cuomo says he is reluctant to persuade people to vote for it if they would rather not. The governor spoke on Rochester public radio station WXXI’s program, Connections with Evan Dawson on May 10.
“I support it,” Cuomo sad. “But if they are starting to suggest that I need to twist arms, then that’s bad sign. Because arm twisting doesn’t work. And it means they don’t have the political support.”
The new version of the bill also expands the state’s
medical marijuana program. Doctors will have autonomy to decide if their
patients require cannabis to treat their illnesses rather than adhering
to the current list of 17 specific qualifying conditions.
Senator Krueger says it might be easier to pass the medical marijuana expansion without legalizing adult use. However, she believes both are necessary, in order for cannabis cultivators to produce enough plants to lower the cost for medical use.
A month supply of a .5mg sublingual tincture from New York's Columbia Care dispensary currently costs between $180 and $360, depending on the frequency of daily consumption to treat conditions such as chronic pain. Patients must pay out of pocket for medical marijuana as it is not covered by health insurance plans.
Senator Krueger says it might be easier to pass the medical marijuana expansion without legalizing adult use. However, she believes both are necessary, in order for cannabis cultivators to produce enough plants to lower the cost for medical use.
A month supply of a .5mg sublingual tincture from New York's Columbia Care dispensary currently costs between $180 and $360, depending on the frequency of daily consumption to treat conditions such as chronic pain. Patients must pay out of pocket for medical marijuana as it is not covered by health insurance plans.
“It’s economically unrealistic,” she said.
Krueger says if lawmakers adjourn again without approving a comprehensive cannabis package, she believes they will have “flunked the assignment."
Many New Yorkers felt that way when the previous cannabis bill failed to pass.
Krueger says if lawmakers adjourn again without approving a comprehensive cannabis package, she believes they will have “flunked the assignment."
Many New Yorkers felt that way when the previous cannabis bill failed to pass.
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