Cannabis legalization
New York wants to allow smoking weed – and thus fight structural racism
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New York is legalizing marijuana – for recreational use, for small-scale cultivation, for tax revenue. A corresponding law is to be passed in the coming week, Governor Andrew Cuomo is said to have given his consent. The draft provides for controlled sales to people over the age of 21, as well as a 13 percent tax on retail sales. The proceeds for the state are likely to run into billions. Communities and minorities who have previously suffered disproportionately from anti-drug measures are to benefit from part of the income. Blacks and Hispanics are significantly more likely to be arrested for marijuana offenses than whites. New York would be the 15th state in the USA to allow recreational use of the drug.
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In the US state of New York, cannabis legalization is as good as decided. The impunity-free smoking weed would not only flush additional money into the state treasury, it should also fight deeply rooted racism.
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Police officers in New York have often broken marijuana restrictions. According to the 2019 civil rights organization ACLU, cannabis-related crimes are the most common cause of imprisonment. And the numbers reflect deeply rooted racism – despite the same level of consumption among whites and non-whites: “Throughout the state, black New Yorkers are 4.5 times more likely to be arrested for weed than white New Yorkers. In Brooklyn and Manhattan, blacks are nine times more likely arrested more often than whites, “writes the ACLU.
As the 15th US state, it is expected that New York – with its 20 million inhabitants and the metropolis of the same name – will allow the consumption of marijuana after years of dispute. The political and social milestone should come into force in the coming days with the passage of a corresponding law in the local parliament in Albany. It is expected with great approval.
In the future, people over the age of 21 will then be allowed to carry up to 85 grams of cannabis with them for personal use. And according to the media, consumption should also be allowed in special lounge-like places. At a later point in time, it should also be possible to grow plants at home for personal use. It could be a year or more before the first cannabis stores open.
A New York challenge
The license to smoke weed is above all a measure to combat structural racism. “For decades, the war on drugs has been a tool to target black and brown Americans and transform the fortunes of their communities for millions of people,” wrote the Brookings think tank last year.
From now on, New York police officers are no longer allowed to search cars just because they smell weed from the vehicle – but testing drivers for the influence of cannabis is still allowed. The entries of previous marijuana crimes, which will no longer be banned in the future, are also to be deleted from the police files. Members of minorities are also to be better placed in the future when it comes to the distribution of business permits, which experts see as a central measure for supporting disadvantaged neighborhoods.
Tax revenue from cannabis legalization
Last but not least, a large part of the additional tax revenue to be expected should flow into neighborhoods affected by racism. How this money is to be distributed has recently been one of the major points of contention between Governor Andrew Cuomo and the MPs in New York’s capital Albany. Cuomo had urged, among other things, that his government should have greater influence over the use. It is estimated that the state could create a $ 4.2 billion cannabis industry in the coming years, with tax revenues of about 350 million annually.
According to media reports, the 63-year-old Prime Minister Cuomo had recently clearly approached the parliamentarians during the negotiations. Some linked this to allegations of sexual harassment against him by several women. The governor – so the reading – needed a political success in order to ease the pressure on himself.
“Racism Has Been Institutionalized”
But even with millions of dollars for neighborhoods with disadvantaged residents, the new law is only one step in the fight against systemic racism in the United States. “Legalizing cannabis does not undo past arrests, and deleting records does not make up for years and decades of less education, employment and other things because of a drug arrest,” writes Brookings.
The opportunity of the reform must be used to make police officers aware of the way in which the old marijuana legislation contributed to racism in order to prevent prejudice and discriminatory behavior in the future. “The history of cannabis policy shows that through it racism was institutionalized and used in certain communities. It is now up to legalization to make their recovery.”
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See in the video: Thousands of cannabis plants are legally blooming in a hall in Neumünster. The operators have taken protective measures against stoners and have a very good relationship with the police.
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