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Tag: New York marijuana legalization

  • State Marijuana Legalization Might Not Include Smoking, New York Governor Hints

    State Marijuana Legalization Might Not Include Smoking, New York Governor Hints

    “There are ways to get THC without smoking marijuana, and we don’t encourage smoking period.”

    Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York may have hinted that the state’s cannabis legalization bill may include a ban on smoking the substance, allowing only other methods of use such as edibles.

    This suggestion was noticed by Marijuana Moment after Cuomo was interviewed on MSNBC Sunday and was asked if the recent cases of lung injury and deaths possibly connected to vaping products had made him reconsider his stance on the issue.

    “No,” said Cuomo. “On marijuana, we’re not in favor of smoking marijuana. There are ways to get THC without smoking marijuana, and we don’t encourage smoking period.”

    Legalizing THC Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Legalizing Weed

    Cuomo may have simply been defending his stance on cannabis legalization by pointing out that people don’t have to smoke it in order to enjoy it as MSNBC anchor Kendis Gibson pushed him on the vaping issue. However, multiple cannabis-focused news outlets have interpreted his answers as possibly suggesting that all or some forms of smoking could be banned in a future legalization bill.

    “You can legalize marijuana and sell THC in compounds that do not require you to smoke the marijuana, and we do not support smoking of marijuana,” Cuomo continued. “There are compounds that have the THC, which is a compound in marijuana, that you don’t smoke.”

    It is possible that a marijuana legalization bill could include an exception for smokables, especially as general bans on vaping products for both tobacco and cannabis have already been proposed.

    The Trump administration is currently finalizing a national ban on flavored e-cigarettes that many experts have pointed to as the reason for the recent spikes in teen vaping rates. 

    Democrats are backing the proposed ban, with many of them saying that the legislation is long overdue. Meanwhile, multiple states, including New York, are drafting their own vaping bans.

    There is also direct precedent for such a ban in New York cannabis law. In 2014, medical marijuana legislation signed into law by Cuomo included a ban on smokable forms of the substance. Cuomo insisted on this provision himself, though his views on cannabis have clearly evolved over the years.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • New York Officially Decriminalizes Marijuana

    New York Officially Decriminalizes Marijuana

    The penalty for possessing up to two ounces of marijuana is now reduced to a violation punishable by a fine.

    The state of New York has further decriminalized the use of marijuana.

    According to the Drug Policy Alliance, back in 1977, New York decriminalized having up to 25 grams of marijuana.

    On Monday (July 29) New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill that will further decriminalize possession of up to two ounces of marijuana. The new law will take effect in 30 days.

    By signing the bill, Cuomo has reduced the penalty for possessing up to two ounces of marijuana to a violation punishable by a fine.

    Another part of the law will establish a process allowing people with “certain marijuana convictions” to have their records expunged.

    Communities of Color

    “Communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by laws governing marijuana for far too long, and today we are ending this injustice once and for all,” Governor Cuomo said in a statement. “By providing individuals who have suffered the consequences of an unfair marijuana conviction with a path to have their records expunged and by reducing draconian penalties, we are taking a critical step forward in addressing a broken and discriminatory criminal justice process.”

    Currently more than half of U.S. states have passed laws to allow the use of marijuana in some capacity.

    In June, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a bill that legalizes cannabis in the state for those 21 and older. The legislation also provides relief for “roughly 770,000” people in Illinois with marijuana-related offenses on their criminal records through an expungement process.

    Social Equity Programs

    Illinois went a step further to ensure what many consider a righteous approach to legalization, by including a “social equity program” to help former marijuana “offenders” get a leg up in the marijuana industry.

    “Marijuana possession gives those convicted a criminal record that will follow them throughout their lives, potentially limiting their access to education, affecting their ability to obtain employment leading to a potential inability to provide for their families,” said New York state Senator Jamaal T. Bailey. “The creation of a mechanism for expungement… is a step in the right direction in finally ending the heavy-handed war on drugs that has decimated communities of color.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • NYC Bill Aims To End Marijuana Testing Of Job Applicants

    NYC Bill Aims To End Marijuana Testing Of Job Applicants

    The bill is one of several efforts being made to reform marijuana policy while progress has stalled on legalizing it statewide.

    New York City may become the first jurisdiction in the country to pass a law that would explicitly bar employers from screening job applicants for marijuana use.

    The city council “overwhelmingly” passed a bill (with a 40-4 vote) that would prevent most employers from this practice, the New York Times reports.

    “If we want to be a progressive city, we have to really put these things into action,” said the city’s public advocate Jumaane D. Williams, who authored the bill.

    Mayor Bill de Blasio has signaled his support of the legislation, which according to the NYT would be the first in the U.S. to prohibit employers from marijuana testing job applicants.

    If enacted, the law will affect both public and private employers in New York City, including companies that have headquarters elsewhere, Williams said.

    The bill would not excuse every worker from being tested, however. A handful of occupations—including construction, law enforcement, child care, medical care, truck driving and aviation—would be exempt from the rule. Employers may also test workers if they appear to be under the influence of marijuana at work. Federal or state employees and government contractors are also exempt as they do not fall under the city’s jurisdiction.

    The mayor is expected to sign the bill into law. It is one of several efforts being made to reform marijuana policy while progress has stalled on legalizing it statewide.

    Another bill passed by the city council would stop the city from requiring marijuana testing for people on probation, according to the NYT.

    NY lawmakers have made little progress on marijuana legalization, but Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office told CBS News that he was “still negotiating to legalize marijuana by the end of the legislative session in June.” Issues like equity programs—to ensure that people of color are guaranteed a stake in the growing industry to make up for years of being disproportionately affected by anti-marijuana laws—have gotten in the way of reaching a deal thus far.

    “I’m proud that the city has taken action where the federal and the state government have stalled,” said Williams.

    In 1986, former President Ronald Reagan issued an executive order calling for “drug-free workplaces,” mandating drug testing at federal agencies. According to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, in 2011 more than half of U.S. employers conducted drug screenings on job applicants.

    However, some disagree that drug testing is a reliable method of predicting job performance.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • New York Counties Skeptical Of Marijuana Legalization

    New York Counties Skeptical Of Marijuana Legalization

    In the more rural counties upstate, sheriffs and others are concerned about the effect that marijuana legalization will have on road safety.

    As New York state moves forward with plans to legalize the recreational use of cannabis, some counties in the state are expressing skepticism and considering whether to “opt out” of recreational cannabis. 

    If marijuana is legalized in New York, counties may be able to stop marijuana businesses from operating within their boundaries, according to WKBW Buffalo. 

    Chautauqua County in Northwest NY is one of the counties that is wary of marijuana legalization, according to Chautauqua County Executive George Borrello. 

    “It’s irresponsible to legalize recreational marijuana,” he said, adding that the bill being considered by the state does not make the rules around recreational cannabis use clear. 

    Niagara County Legislator Jesse Gooch said that he does not have a strong opinion on marijuana legalization, but he would like to hear from his constituents about their concerns. Because of that, he plans to host community forums to discuss whether Niagara County should opt out of legalization by not allowing marijuana to be bought, grown or sold in the county. 

    “I would like to set up a couple of open forums where we invite the public residents to come in and really just talk it out,” Gooch said. 

    NY Governor Andrew Cuomo expressed opposition to legalization as little as two years ago, but now supports a bill to legalize recreational use for people over 21. He has essentially said that the move is inevitable. 

    “It’s a false choice legalize marijuana or not, because we are there already,” Cuomo said, according to WIVB. 

    Despite that, law enforcement in New York has been against legalization. In the more rural counties upstate, sheriffs and others are concerned about the effect that marijuana legalization will have on road safety, according to Thomas Dougherty, Livingston County Sheriff.

    Dougherty said officers will need to be specially trained to detect whether a driver is operating under the influence of marijuana. 

    “I don’t know many agencies that can afford to have a full force of [drug recognition experts], some of the largest counties have 3 or 4. Again we have major concerns on what will be the fiscal impact,” he said. 

    Dr. Gale Burstein, Erie County Health Commissioner, said that since she has no say in whether marijuana use is legalized, she’s just doing her best to prepare for how that may impact public health in the county. 

    “We know that you can get addicted to marijuana. That’s a known fact, even though people don’t believe that,” she said. “In states where marijuana has been legalized, they’ve seen a much higher incidence of impaired driving and very serious motor vehicle accidents compared to states where marijuana has not been legalized for recreational use.”

    View the original article at thefix.com