New York announced an agreement to legalize recreational marijuana for those 21 and older

03/28/2021 4:20 PM

• Clarín.com

• World

Updated 03/28/2021 4:22 PM

Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York State legislators

reached an agreement to legalize the recreational use

of marijuana for those 21 and older, the government of this state on the east coast of the United States announced on Sunday.

The agreement was reached late on Saturday

after years of discussions

and comes as Cuomo faces multiple investigations, including alleged sexual harassment and alleged cover-up of covid-19 nursing home deaths.

Once the legislation is passed (Cuomo's Democratic Party has a strong majority in both houses of local Congress) New York

will join 14 other states

and the District of Columbia in allowing cannabis use.

The governor's office said in a statement that legalization could lead to

a $ 350 million increase

in the state's annual tax revenue and create tens of thousands of jobs.

Under the bill,

those over 21 will be able to buy marijuana

and grow it for personal use at home, while including a plan to use part of the funds raised for drug addiction treatment and education.

New market

"Legalizing cannabis for adults is not just about creating a new market that provides jobs and benefits the economy; it is also about bringing justice to long-marginalized communities and ensuring that those who have been unfairly penalized in the past now have the opportunity to benefit. "Cuomo said in the statement.

Once passed, the law would take effect immediately,

although the sale could take up to two years

as a cannabis board will have to put the legal structures in place, a state lawmaker said Friday.

According to the bill, New York

will automatically delete the registry of people convicted

of previous marijuana-related offenses who are no longer criminalized.

It

will

also

remove penalties for possession

of up to three ounces (85 grams) of the drug, the new personal possession limit.

And an existing medical marijuana program will be expanded.

It also

plans to tax marijuana sales at 9%,

and an additional 4% tax, the collection of which will be divided between the county government and the state government.

The proposal includes the provision of

loans and guarantees

to encourage job creation and participation in the industry for small farmers, women and veterans with disabilities, as well as minority New Yorkers.

The promoters of the project affirm that it will represent an important step towards ending decades of injustice against minorities and impoverished communities, which were the object of disproportionate persecution during decades of severe drug criminalization.

"This landmark legislation brings justice to New York State by ending the ban

, eliminating conviction records

that have reduced opportunities for countless predominantly young Black and Latino New Yorkers," said The Legal Aid Society, a justice law firm. social, in a statement this Sunday.

Source: AFP

PB

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