Legalization of marijuana in New York is approaching
The prospect of thousands of new jobs and high income for the tax authorities could make New York with its almost 20 million inhabitants – and the metropolis of the same name – the 15th US state to allow marijuana for free use.
Sees many advantages in legalization: Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Foto: Mike Groll (Keystone)
In the US state of New York, the sale of cannabis could soon be legalized. Governor Andrew Cuomo and members of the regional parliament agreed on a corresponding bill, Cuomo’s office announced on Sunday. Accordingly, adults over the age of 21 should be allowed to consume and cultivate cannabis for personal use in the future.
Should the New York Parliament, in which Cuomos Democrats form the majority, approve the project as expected, the state would follow the example of 14 other states and the capital district in which marijuana is already permitted as a stimulant.
Fight against structural racism in the foreground
Governor Cuomo said he expected additional tax revenue of $ 350 million annually and the creation of tens of thousands of new jobs. Legalizing the drug will not only create a new market, Coumo said. The move should also benefit marginalized population groups and those who have been wrongly punished in the past. The current cannabis law in New York had discriminated against non-whites. Although consumption is roughly evenly distributed, blacks were arrested many times more often for marijuana crimes.
The draft law stipulates that offenses related to the drug, which are no longer punishable under the new law, will be removed from the criminal record of those affected. The possession of three grams of marijuana should therefore be allowed, and the program for the medical use of the drug is to be expanded.
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