Ashley Hupfl
Albany Bureau
ALBANY — Marijuana in New York would be legalized under legislation submitted Wednesday by a state senator.
Sen. Liz Krueger, D-Manhattan, said the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act would treat marijuana similar to alcohol — it would be taxed and regulated. “Prohibition of marijuana is a policy that just hasn’t worked, no matter how you look at it, and it’s time to have an honest conversation about what we should do next,” Krueger said in a statement. “The illegal marijuana economy is alive and well, and our unjust laws are branding nonviolent New Yorkers, especially young adults, as criminals, creating a vicious cycle that ruins lives and needlessly wastes taxpayer dollars.”
The bill would remove penalties for possession under two ounces of marijuana or less. It would make 18 the minimum legal age for marijuana possession and consumption, but prohibit the sale of marijuana to people under the age of 21. The bill said there would be an excise tax of $50 per ounce of marijuana, and localities would be able to authorize a sales tax on retail sales. A portion of state tax revenue collected by the sale of marijuana would go into re-entry programs, substance- abuse programs and job-training programs in low-income, high-unemployment communities.
Krueger’s bill gained support among Democrats in the Legislature, but it was panned by the Senate, which is partially controlled by Republicans.
“We’re focused on cutting taxes to create new jobs so families can stay in New York,” said Senate GOP spokesman Scott Reif. “The Senate Democrats, it would appear, have other priorities.”
Washington and Colorado are the only two states that have legalized recreational marijuana use. Colorado will allow retail stores selling marijuana to open Jan. 1. Twenty states have legalized medicinal marijuana.
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