Friday, January 12, 2018

Will New York Finally Consider Legalizing Cannabis This Week?


By Janet Burns

This week, Vermont and New Hampshire moved to legalize cannabis for adult use, signifying a major step in states' acceptance of the plant along the East Coast, and in their opposition to Attorney General Jeff Sessions' tenacious stance.

In New York, where legislators have largely left drug laws unchanged since the '70s, and where marijuana arrest rates continue to lead the nation, a panel of lawmakers will now hear testimony from some of the state's most experienced--and patient--advocates for reform.

On Thursday morning, the New York State Assembly Standing Committees on Codes, Health, and Alcohol and Drug Abuse will convene a public hearing to discuss the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), aimed to legalize the use, distribution, and production of cannabis for adults aged 21 and over.

As part of their research on the bill, which was floated to little effect in previous assembly sessions, the legislative panel will hear testimony from a range of medical, legal, and policy experts in the state who are calling for an end to the ban (with livestreamed video available from 10:30 EST, and after the fact here).

Click here for the full article.

Source: Forbes (via Empire Report New York)

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