Marijuana legalized in New York: when it will be possible to buy 'weed'

On Tuesday, March 30, New York City transformed itself from the world's capital of marijuana arrests to a state with one of the most progressive cannabis laws in the country. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the law into law on Wednesday morning, March 31. Writes about it Gothamist.

The State Assembly and the State Senate overwhelmingly passed the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which allows adults 21 years of age and older to buy marijuana from licensed points of sale and grow at home.

The law removes cannabis from the list of controlled substances and allows people over the age of 21 to use it freely. Legal sales will begin next year, writes New York Post.

This means New York City will join 14 states, two territories and Washington DC in legalizing adult marijuana use.

The two main sponsors of the law, Assemblyman Crystal Peeples Stokes and Senator Liz Krueger, have fought to get the bill passed for over seven years.

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The marijuana-related arrests and convictions will be lifted and law enforcement will not be able to use the smell of marijuana as a pretext for a search. New Yorkers who are currently working in the illegal market will have the opportunity to obtain one of ten different licenses to operate in the new cannabis economy, which is predicted to generate $ 350 million a year in taxes, as well as create from 30 000 to 60 jobs statewide.

“Unlike any other state in this country, this law is deliberately aimed at ensuring fairness,” Peeples Stokes said.

The law went into effect right after the governor signed it into law, but it could be many months before New Yorkers see the first legal marijuana sales as licenses need to be issued and a system set up.

According to the law, people will be able to grow up to three "mature" cannabis plants and three "immature" plants for personal use, with a limit of 12 plants per family.

There will also be a three ounce limit for personal use and a five pound limit for personal home storage.

In the late 90s and early 2000s, 800 New Yorkers were arrested or fined for possession of marijuana, more than anywhere else in the world, despite the fact that the legislature decriminalized possession in the late 000s. some cannabis.

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The state, under the new law, will create a Cannabis Management Administration, with representatives appointed by the Governor and the Legislature. They will oversee the licensing of dispensaries, manufacturers, wholesalers and “points of consumption”.

The law directs 40% of cannabis revenue to education, 40% to reinvestment grants for communities affected by the marijuana ban, and 20% to drug treatment and community education programs.