On Saturday 27th March, lawmakers reached an agreement to legalize recreational marijuana sales in New York.
14 other states have already allowed residents to buy marijuana for recreational use.
Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration has estimated that legalization could bring the state about $350 million annually.
“My goal in carrying this legislation has always been to end the racially disparate enforcement of marijuana prohibition that has taken such a toll on communities of colour across our state, and to use the economic windfall of legalization to help heal and repair those same communities,” Sen. Liz Krueger, Senate sponsor of the bill and chair of the Senate’s finance committee, said.
Adults over the age of 21 years old would be allowed to buy recreational cannabis. Individuals could grow up to three mature and three immature plants for personal consumption and local government could opt out of retail sales.
The legislation would take effect immediately if passed, however sales would take up to two years to start.
New York would set a 9 per cent sales tax on cannabis, as well as an additional 4 per cent tax split between the county and the local government. Additional taxes would be imposed based on the level of THC ranging from 0,5 cents per milligram for flowers to 3 cents per milligram for edibles.
The law would include the suppression of penalties for possession of less than three ounces of cannabis, as well as the suppression of records of people with past convictions for cannabis-related offences. The State is also planning to provide loans, grants and incubator programs to encourage individuals, most particularly from minority communities to participate in the cannabis industry. Those grants would be addressed to people of colours, small farmers, women and disabled veterans.
This program is made to address the racial injustice from which minority and poor communities have been suffering for decades.
New York officials plan to launch an education and prevention campaign to reduce the risk of abuse in regards to cannabis among school-aged children. Schools would be able to get grants for anti-vaping and drug prevention programs.
The bill allows cities, towns and villages to refuse allowing adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries or on-site consumption licenses by passing a local law by Dec. 31, 2021 however they won’t be able to opt out of legalization.
