New York State lawmakers on the verge of introducing an amended version of the MRTA

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New York State lawmakers on the verge of introducing an amended version of the MRTA

New York State lawmakers plan to introduce S.854A/A.1248A, an amended version of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (“MRTA”). This legislation championed by Senator Krueger and Assemblywoman Peoples-Stokes since 2013 embodies the principles of marijuana justice and consumer rights.

Once the marijuana arrest capital of the world, New York is poised to become the largest adult-use market in the nation. We are encouraged by the improvements legislators have reportedly incorporated into the bill, and we hope that when passed this legislation will respect the balance between the rights and freedoms of cannabis consumers, and marijuana justice.

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Assessment of NYPD Report On Public Burning of Marijuana

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Assessment of NYPD Report On Public Burning of Marijuana

The Report by the New York City Police Department’s “Working Group” is more window dressing than an actual policy change. Rather, it appears to be an elaborate 20 page rationalization to continue the present enforcement protocol without any real progress on the policing front.  As of today, the policy continues to leave it to the relatively unfettered discretion in the hands of each officer to decide whether to issue a summons or, subject to a variety of exceptions, affect a full blown arrest for the public consumption of marijuana. The continuation of this policy certainly is better than the old days in that those issued a summons are not fingerprinted and face only a maximum $100 fine for a first offense. But, that is not the policy that the citizens of New York want or need.

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