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GOOD NEWS FOR NEW YORK
Things are looking up in the cannabis industry nationwide,
with the monumental legalizing of the herb in Alaska and Oregon, and Washington
D.C. having approved a measure that removes penalties
Things are looking up in the cannabis industry nationwide, with the monumental legalizing of the herb in Alaska and Oregon, and Washington D.C. having approved a measure that removes penalties for possession and home cultivation. Now the herb’s presence in New York is also taking a step towards positive acceptance. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Police Commissioner William J. Bratton announced yesterday that those who are found possessing cannabis will now be receiving a ticket instead of being arrested, according to Yahoo News.
The new rule won’t go into effect until Wednesday, November 19, but will apply to those who are found possessing 25 grams or less. However, this rule does have a few exceptions. Those who are caught using the herb in public, or possessing cannabis openly in public, may still be subject to arrest, which includes being fingerprinted and often forced to fit in jail for hours, according to NY Mag.
Despite the slight limitation, de Blasio displayed great optimism for allowing cannabis to be more widely carried for patients, “I came into office with a pledge to incessantly heal wounds of the past. Today is another step,” de Blasio stated at the Monday conference.
Last year, the New York Police Department (NYPD) arrested 28,000 people for possessing cannabis, with 86 percent being black or Hispanic citizens. According to de Blasio, the new policy will allow the NYPD to continue doing their work throughout the city without being affected by an “unproductive arrest.” Both Mayor de Blasio, as well as Police Commissioner Bratton, stated that they are not in favor of legalization. Although the news is positive, it is only the beginning in terms of progress for cannabis in New York.
Five black and Hispanic members of the New York City Council applauded Mayor de Blasio’s announcement, commending him for taking a step towards bettering the lived of many minorities in the city, according to USA Today. “The relationship between police and communities, particularly communities of color, frayed significantly during the previous administration. Today’s announcement will make substantial progress towards rebuilding that relationship,” the council stated.
Drug Policy Alliance Managing Director Gabriel Sayegh is also happy to finally see the mayor’s decision implemented, but realizes that there is much more ground to cover before people of New York can look forward to not being inconvenienced for simply carrying around their medicine. To Sayegh, even a ticket is still a hassle. “The summons process in NYC is a major entry point into the maze of our broken criminal justice system, so even with a ticket, people will be swept into that maze with limited options for exit. And right now, the police are almost exclusively arresting young men of color for marijuana, often as the result of an illegal search,” Sayegh stated.
De Blasio is trying to regain New York citizens’ trust of the NYPD, especially after the controversial “stop-and-frisk” practices set in motion by a Bloomberg police commissioner. This practice, which was ruled unconstitutional in August 2013, paired with the issue of the NYPD arresting a huge percentage of minorities leaves much to be desired in terms of improvements for cannabis in the state. Although the improvements are minimal, most consider the soon-to-be implemented rule to still a step in the right direction.
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