New York has passed new legislation legalising the use of recreational marijuana whilst uniting racial equity.  

At the start of April, the state of New York announced that recreational marijuana is now legal. New York is now the 15th state in America to legalise cannabis, and it has now positioned itself to become of the largest legal markets of the drug. New York is one of the few states where the legalisation of the substance is directly tied to economic and racial equity.  

Marijuana was a controversial subject within the state, and there was a significant discussion to get this law passed. Disagreements were mainly surrounding the distribution of the tax revenue. The legislation agreed that 40% of the tax revenue, from the legal sale of cannabis, would be steered towards areas that contain several Black and Latino communities that have been arrested for the possession of marijuana in disproportionate numbers. Read here to find out more about the bill.   

Also, this meant that all convictions of cannabis-related offences were de-criminalised. Additionally, offenders will have their records automatically wiped. The law hopes to involve those with past convictions to contribute to the new legal market.  

Crystal D. People-Stokes, the Democratic majority leader in the Assembly, which passed the legislation has said:  

“Unlike any other state in America, this legislation is intentionally about equity.”  

“Equity is not a second thought, it’s the first one, and it needs to be because the people who paid the price for this war on drugs have lost so much.” 
 

New Yorkers are now allowed to possess up to three ounces of cannabis for recreational purposes. Furthermore, 24 grams of concentrated forms of the drug, such as CBD oils, is now legal to carry. It is important to consider that New York has not passed the law of growing cannabis plants for recreational use. Citizens can grow up to three mature cannabis plants and three immature plants at one time.  

OdiliaClark has previously discussed the use of CBD oils and whether it would show on a drug test.   

New York will become the second-largest revenue generator of cannabis tax, and the first state ever to pass a bill incorporating equity as part of its economic plans.  
 

Will other states follow?  

OdiliaClark offers bespoke HR packages regarding workplace drugs and alcohol impairment management. OdiliaClark has extensive experience working with a range of different clients, assisting them with their plans. Get in touch today to initiate a conversation.  

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This article was written by one of the Odilia Clark team. Odilia Clark is a specialist HR services company with over 30 years of combined experience in the space. OdiliaClark offers an independent drug and alcohol testing service using state-of-the-art Dräger equipment as used by the British Police and Fire Services.   

OdiliaClark is a specialist human resources company whose consultants are fully trained and certified in carrying out impartial, digital drug testing for companies’ employees. They also offer a range of other services including policy advice writing and implementation and staff training services.    

For more information on how Odilia Clark can help your business deal with these changes with a bespoke package designed for your business contact info@odiliaclark.com.