New York Legalizes Cannabis With an Emphasis on Equity
Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the New York State Assembly’s cannabis legalization plan into law this morning, making the state the 15th in the US to do so. The reversal on statewide prohibition permits individuals to possess three ounces of flower or 24 grams of concentrate. Plus, public consumption will be permitted wherever tobacco smoking is already allowed. Other initiatives—at-home growth, lounges for social consumption and delivery services—will be phased into action. More importantly, New York legislators successfully lobbied for equity clauses. 40% of cannabis tax revenue will be allocated to the state’s Black and Latino communities, and those with marijuana-related convictions will see their records expunged—and many of the aforementioned will be permitted to hold licenses in the new legal market. “Unlike any other state in America, this legislation is intentional about equity,” Crystal D Peoples-Stokes, the Assembly’s Democratic majority leader and lead sponsor of this bill, announced. Read more at The New York Times.
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Via nytimes.com link opens in a new window
