The purchase of cannabis became legal in the state of New York (UNITED STATES) this Thursday, provided you go to an authorized store. The first of these stores opened the same day in midtown Manhattan. It is run by the non-profit Housing Works, which helps people with HIV, ex-convicts and the homeless. Since November 21, local authorities have granted 36 official licenses.
A model of security and correctness
Even the consumption of cannabis has been authorized in the area for more than a year for people over the age of 21. Kathy Hochul, Democratic governor, spoke of “an historic milestone for the cannabis industry in New York”. She explained that she wanted to make the State of New York a model to follow to make the legal sale of cannabis safe and fair.
In the long term, the state aims to grant the first 150 official clearances to vendors who have been convicted of possessing or selling cannabis in the past. In this way, he intends to repair the injustice he believes the African American and Hispanic communities have suffered. The latter would in fact have been sentenced in disproportionate proportions compared to the rest of the population for cases related to marijuana.
