ALBANY, N.Y.-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday that he would amend his proposal to regulate and tax recreational marijuana in hopes that the drug could be legalized as part of the state budget due by April 1. The amended proposal would allow for delivery services and reduce the penalty for people who unlawfully sell marijuana to a person under the age of 21. It would also add specificity to a social-equity fund that the Democratic governor said would help revitalize communities that have been most harmed by the war on drugs. He said the amendments reflected conversations with lawmakers. [continues 374 words]
Governor Backs Bill That Decriminalizes Holding Small Amounts of Drug ALBANY - If the governor gets his way, you could roll a joint in public without facing arrest. Taking a puff, though, would still get you cuffed. Surrounded by prosecutors from three big counties, prominent African-American legislators and New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced support Monday for a bill that would decriminalize the public possession of small amounts of marijuana. The governor cast the proposal as a balancing act that, rather than driving toward significantly broader decriminalization, simply mends a "blatant inconsistency" in the existing law that has emerged as an "aggravated complication" of the controversial NYPD policy known as "stop and frisk." [continues 648 words]
New York Lawmakers Believe State Can Avoid California-Like Problems ALBANY - New York can legalize medicinal marijuana without causing the sort of problems that have arisen in California, a Manhattan assemblyman said Wednesday. Assemblyman Dick Gottfried announced that a bill doing so would be brought to a vote in the Democrat-dominated chamber this year. The legislation was advanced through the Health Committee, which he chairs, on Tuesday. The bill has never come up for a vote in the state Senate, where Republicans hold a bare majority, but has passed the Assembly twice. [continues 357 words]
ALBANY--Will this actually be the year for Rockefeller Drug Law reform? "I think we have a better shot than ever if Paterson takes a leadership role," said Anthony Papa, who served 12 years under the laws before he was granted clemency by George Pataki in 1997. David Paterson mentioned the need to reform the laws in his speech yesterday, saying he "cannot think of a criminal justice strategy that has been more unsuccessful" in its purpose. He was a supporter of reforming the laws as a state senator. [continues 214 words]
