It’s high time to legalize it
State health dept. backs recreational weed
ALBANY – The New York State Health Department is high on the prospects of legal marijuana.
In a long-awaited report released Friday, the Health Department concluded the “positive effects of a regulated marijuana market in NYS outweigh the potential negative impacts” and recommended that state officials move forward with the legalization of recreational pot use.
Such a move, however, should only happen after the development of a “wellthought-out” regulatory structure and public education campaign to inform the public about the benefits and risks associated with pot use, the report said.
“It is imperative that a regulated marijuana program contain all necessary safeguards and measures to limit access for individuals under 21, minimize impaired driving, provide education and tailored messaging to different populations, and connect people to treatment if needed,” the report stated.
The report, which was ordered by Gov. Cuomo in January, found that a regulated marijuana market could have several benefits for New York, including increased quality controls, consumer protections and tax revenues.
With New York's current market for illegal marijuana estimated to tally between $1.74 billion and $3.5 billion annually, the report estimated that the state could see tax revenue of between $248 million and $677.7 million, assuming tax rates of between 7% and 15%. The report ecommended an nitial tax ate of beween 7% and 10%.
Cuomo on Friday said he would “put together a group” to come up with a “full program” for legalization. He noted that the report recommends that people be at least 21 to purchase pot, but doesn't answer such questions such as who could sell it, where, and the quantity that can be sold.
Marijuana legalization has also become a campaign issue, with actress Cynthia Nixon, who is challenging Cuomo for the Democratic nomination for governor, and other leftleaning candidates making it a central issue of their campaigns.
In a statement, Nixon campaign spokeswoman Lauren Hitt accused the Cuomo administration of releasing the report as a ploy to distract attention away from this week's conviction of top economic development aide Alain Kaloyeros on corruption charges.
A rep for Cuomo denied he released the report to distract attention away from Kaloyeros' conviction, or that he changed his stance because of Nixon.