The bill would increase New York’s present medical marijuana applications and set up the Office of Cannabis Management “to implement a comprehensive regulatory framework that would cover medical, adult-use and cannabinoid hemp,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s workplace stated in a assertion Sunday morning.
The growth of an adult-use hashish trade in New York has the potential to create 30,000 to 60,000 jobs and the power to earn $350 million yearly in tax collections, his workplace stated.
“Legalizing adult-use cannabis isn’t just about creating a new market that will provide jobs and benefit the economy — it’s also about justice for long-marginalized communities and ensuring those who’ve been unfairly penalized in the past will now get a chance to benefit. I look forward to signing this legislation into law,” Cuomo stated.
The Legal Aid Society issued a assertion Sunday in help of the announcement.
“This landmark legislation brings justice to New York State by ending prohibition, expunging conviction records that have curtailed the opportunities of countless predominately young Black and Latinx New Yorkers, and delivers economic justice to ensure that communities who have suffered the brunt of aggressive and disparate marijuana enforcement are first in line to reap the economic gain,” Anne Oredeko, supervising legal professional of the Racial Justice Unit, and Anthony Posada, supervising legal professional of the Community Justice Unit at The Legal Aid Society, stated in a assertion.
Social and financial fairness program
The New York State Cannabis/Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act would add a 13% tax to retail gross sales for state and native tax income, the discharge says.
The taxes would go to the New York state hashish income fund, with the rest after prices being cut up between schooling (40%), the Community Grants Reinvestment Fund (40%) and the Drug Treatment and Public Education Fund (20%).
The Office of Cannabis Management could be an impartial workplace working as a part of the New York State Liquor Authority. It would have a two-tier licensing construction that might separate growers and processors from these proudly owning retail shops, the discharge says.
“A social and economic equity program would facilitate individuals disproportionally impacted by cannabis enforcement, including creating a goal of 50% of licenses to go to a minority or woman owned business enterprise, or distressed farmers or service-disabled veterans to encourage participation in the industry,” the discharge says.
“Cities, towns, and villages may opt-out of allowing adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries or on-site consumption licenses by passing a local law by December 31, 2021 or nine months after the effective date of the legislation. They cannot opt-out of adult-use legalization,” it says.
Other states
It got here after a 2020 poll measure that noticed New Jersey vote to legalize recreational marijuana. State lawmakers, unable to acquire sufficient help to go a bill to totally legalize marijuana, agreed to place the query straight to voters: “Do you approve amending the Constitution to legalize a controlled form of marijuana called ‘cannabis’?”
Like New Jersey, Arizona additionally voted to legalize recreational marijuana, and Montana voted to each set up 21 because the authorized age to buy, possess and devour hashish by constitutional modification and to legalize marijuana for recreational use.
South Dakota authorized legalization for each recreational and medical use — the primary state ever to approve medical and recreational marijuana measures on the similar time — and Mississippi voted to legalize medical marijuana, changing into one of many first southern states to achieve this.
CNN’s Lauren del Valle and Susannah Cullinane contributed to this report.
