New York State Legalizes Recreational Marijuana

A Weed World Store in New York, which sells candy and marijuana-related products.VIEWpress / Emaz

The State of New York has legalized the use of marijuana for recreational purposes on Wednesday.

With the signing of the law by the governor, Democrat Andrew Cuomo, New York becomes the sixteenth state in the country to regulate its consumption.

The measure could generate $ 350 million in annual taxes and create between 30,000 and 60,000 jobs, according to its advocates.

The new rule also automatically eliminates prior convictions for possession and use of the herb.

The fiscal hole caused by the covid-19 pandemic has been one of the reasons that has unblocked the debate on the law, which had been discussed for several years in the corridors of the Albany Assembly without finding the necessary support, and accelerated its approval, some analysts argue.

For its detractors, the measure will harm minors and will cause an increase in traffic accidents.

“This is a historic day in New York, where the mistakes of the past are corrected by ending harsh prison terms [for possession and use];

in which an industry is embraced that will grow the economy of the

Empire State

[New York], and a day that gives priority to marginalized communities so that those who have suffered the most are the first to reap the benefits, "said Cuomo after signing the document approved by both houses of the New York Legislature on Tuesday night.

Cuomo, in the eye of the hurricane for several complaints of sexual harassment, has thanked on Twitter for "the tireless activism" that has made the law possible.

New York follows in the footsteps of 14 other states and Washington, District of Columbia, by approving the bill that legalizes the recreational use of marijuana for those over 21 years of age.

In addition, state residents will be able to buy and grow up to six plants - three that have matured and another three green - for personal consumption, as stated in the text of the law.

The new legislation stipulates a 9% tax on cannabis sales, to which should be added an additional 4% to be shared between municipal and county authorities.

Authorities plan to raise $ 350 million a year in taxes alone and shape an industry that could reach $ 4 billion.

A new office will supervise that the new measures generate the expected benefit, which for the time being will have consequences in the criminal sphere.

As Cuomo recalled, "the law automatically removes prior marijuana convictions that would now be legal [proceedings]."

A poll published in November by the Gallup firm showed that 68% of American adults are in favor of legalizing marijuana, 20 points more than in 2012, and debate has also opened in Washington about a possible review at the federal level.

The last state to approve its use before New York was neighboring New Jersey.

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is pushing for an end to the current ban, while President Joe Biden has advocated decriminalizing cannabis - removing it from the blacklist of banned substances - which would be one step behind legalization.

The New York Senate Legislative Majority Leader, Democrat Andrea Stewart-Cousins, called the new law a "first step in addressing the disparities caused by the war on drugs," in a state where prisons are abundant. representation of Mexican drug traffickers.