Is Pot Legal in NY Yet? New Yorkers are allowed to possess up to 3 ounces of cannabis for fun purposes under the law. Those who have been convicted of marijuana-related offenses will have their records wiped instantly.
After years of unsuccessful attempts and time-wasting creativities, New York has legalized recreational marijuana.
On Tuesday, state lawmakers backed a bill that legalizes marijuana for individuals 21 and above, paving the way for the formation of a $4.2 billion industry that could become one of the country’s largest. On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed the bill into law.
What does it mean for New Yorkers if marijuana is legalized?
Is Pot Legal in NY Yet? New Yorkers can now possess up to three ounces of recreational cannabis or 24 grammars of concentrated cannabis. Such as oils derived from a cannabis plant, for personal use.
People aged 21 and up are permitted to use, smoke, eat, or consume cannabis products, as well as to give them to others of the same age.
People will be allowed to keep up to five pounds of cannabis at home, but they must take “reasonable steps” to ensure it is kept in a secure location. Possessing more than the allowed amount of cannabis or selling it without a license carries penalties ranging from a minor infraction to a crime.
Where is it legal to use marijuana?
People are allowed to smoke in public wherever smoking tobacco is legal. According to Liz Krueger, the bill’s Senate sponsor. On Tuesday, she remarked, “As far as right now, the law passing today, if you can smoke tobacco there, you could smoke marijuana there.”
Local governments, as well as a new state cannabis agency, might develop restrictions to make it more difficult to smoke cannabis in public, according to Ms. Krueger. People who smoke in public places where it is not permitted face a civil penalty of $25 or up to 20 hours of community service.
Cannabis is permitted to smoke in private houses, as long as the landlord does not restrict it, as well as in hotels and motels that allow it.
When laws are in place, club-like lounges or “consumption sites” where cannabis but not alcohol can be consumed will also be legalized in a few months. Cities may choose not to authorize these sites.
What is the best way for me to purchase it?
Is Pot Legal in NY Yet? The law establishes retail licenses, clearing the path for brick-and-mortar dispensaries to sell cannabis goods to the public. Local governments have until the end of the year to opt-out of permitting dispensaries.
Dispensaries will only be able to serve customers who hold an on-site consumption license.
The state will also issue licenses for the establishment of cannabis delivery firms, allowing users to have the substance delivered to their homes. Something local governments will not be allowed to prevent.
What about driving while inebriated?
Driving while drunk on marijuana is still unlawful, just as driving while high on alcohol is, and police will still be able to pull anyone over if they are suspected of being impaired.
An officer can suspect a driver of being under the influence based on the scent of smoked cannabis. But he or she is only allowed to examine portions of the car that are easily accessible to the driver, such as the trunk.
Unlike alcohol, there is currently no simple way to determine if a person is under the influence of cannabis, especially since traces of the substance can linger in the body after the high has worn off.
Is it going to be legal to cultivate marijuana in your own home?
Yes. Users will be allowed to grow up to six plants at home, indoors, or outdoors, for recreational reasons, with a total of twelve plants per family. However, they won’t be able to do so for another 18 months after the first adult-use dispensary opens.
Six months from now, medical marijuana users or their designated caregivers will be able to grow the plants.
When will legal marijuana be available for purchase?
Is Pot Legal in NY Yet? The opening of dispensaries and the start of sales are still a long way off. Although the law doesn’t specify a time frame, the first sales aren’t expected until at least 2022.
From sales regulation and taxation to the issuance of licenses for cultivators, processors, wholesalers, retailers, and delivery services, officials must first define how the sector will work.
The new regulations will be enrolled and overseen by a new state Office of Cannabis Management and Cannabis Control Board.
What inequalities does this law seek to address?
According to a 2018 New York Times investigation, Hispanic people in New York City were detained at five times the rate of white people in recent years on low-level marijuana crimes.
The disparity was even more pronounced for Black individuals. Who was detained at 15 times the rate of white persons in Manhattan?
However, surveys reveal that black and white persons consume marijuana at the same rate. And in areas where people called to complain about marijuana at similar rates, arrests were nearly always conducted at a higher rate in areas with more Black residents.
Is Pot Legal in NY Yet? Every year, millions of dollars in sales tax money will be spent in neighborhoods impacted by racially disproportionate drug policing. A major portion of the money would go toward public education and drug prevention therapy.
Minority company entrepreneurs, disabled veterans, and distressed farmers, among others, would be eligible for a large number of business licenses.
What happens to people who have been convicted of marijuana possession?
People who have been convicted of marijuana-related offenses for activities that are no longer illegal will have their records wiped automatically.
There is precedent for such a move: in New York, more than 150,000 people with minor marijuana convictions had their records deleted in 2019.
Why did it take so long to get this done?
In recent years, Mr. Cuomo and Democrats in the State Legislature have attempted to legalize marijuana on many occasions. Efforts, however, were upset each time.
For example, in 2019, the plan for legalization fell apart due to arguments over how to govern the sector and how revenue money should be managed. As well as skepticism among moderate MPs.
However, the attempts recently gained traction after Mr. Cuomo’s latest scandals gave them a boost. Several lawmakers and requesters feel that striking a deal for legalization became a higher priority for the governor as he was required to divert attention away from his mounting issues.
The new dynamic pushed Mr. Cuomo’s staff to surrender on a number of points they had previously refused to concede on, including how the tax revenue would be allocated, resulting in a settlement that more closely represented Democratic members’ preferences.
What about the rest of the country?
More than a dozen other states, as well as Washington, D.C., have followed suit.
Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey signed three legislations into law this month that allow and regulate the use of recreational marijuana. It became the Northeast’s most populated state to legalize marijuana. For more updates and news visit www.themacforums.com
