On Friday, while everyone seemed fixated on international affairs as Donald Trump made a poofy-haired streak across Europe, something notable occurred in New York: Governor Andrew Cuomo inched nearer to a statewide legalization of marijuana.
After a speech in Brooklyn on a different topic, Cuomo told the press that, considering that surrounding states New Jersey and Massachusetts had given the green plant the green light, a new approach was needed with regard to reefer coming into NY.
He didn’t explicitly say he’d support legalization, but he did admit that “the situation on marijuana is changing.”
And, more substantially:
“Now you have to answer specifics. Who sells it? Where do they sell it? What quantity can you sell? That to me, the devil’s in the details. And to come up with a full program, that’s what we have to answer.”
Cuomo’s comments weren’t in a vacuum: the Health Department released a 75-page report siding with legalization on the same day. Among the benefits, according to the document: improved health for some and a reduction in minority arrests.
Oh, and there’s this: pot in New York constitutes a $3.5 billion dollar industry.
As per the report:
“The positive effects of a regulated marijuana market in N.Y.S. outweigh the potential negative impacts. Areas that may be a cause for concern can be mitigated with regulation and proper use of public education that is tailored to address key populations.”
Sex and the City actress and Democrat Cynthia Nixon plans to oppose Cuomo in the coming election. And, politically, Cynthia digs weed. So there’s that.
Cuomo previously denounced pot as a “gateway drug,” but maybe now he’s thinking it’s the gate to awesomeness.
According to Chris Alexander of Drug Policy Alliance, it’s so:
“[The report’s] significance cannot be understated. We know [Cuomo] is using this as his pivot point. He needed some kind of epiphany that was based in something.”
Legalization would be a signification change for New York. There are no doubt many users already in the Big Apple. But the change from criminality to state support is huge.
What might be the effects? They’re not all positive — just ask Colorado, which is dealing with a rise in auto deaths due to cannabis.
Do you think legalization — in New York, and around the country — is a good thing? Please let us know in the Comments section below.
For those of you who haven’t seen it, please watch the unintentionally-hilarious 1936 anti-pot propaganda film Reefer Madness, embedded below.
For something totally different, here are my articles on HuffPost’s pro-communism profile of Kylie Jenner, the Left’s insane (yet predictable) reaction to SCOTUS nominee Bret Kavanaugh, and Donald Trump’s gratitude toward Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters.
Find all my RedState work here.
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