Cannabis Legalization And Racial Justice

Earlier this year, New York passed legislation legalizing the adult use of cannabis. New Yorkers can now legally possess three ounces for any use, and can smoke marijuana in any publically-designed area where tobacco smoking is allowed, although home cultivation is still not permitted. Importantly, certain convictions - possessing up to 16 ounces or selling up to 25 grams of marijuana - will be automatically expunged from criminal records.

Not only does this law expand existing medical marijuana programs and create a licensing system for producers and distributors, but it also acts as an important step toward addressing the racial disparities in drug-related arrests. During the 1970s and 1980s, the so-called "War on Drugs" stigmatized drug use as a criminal and moral issue rather than treating it as a public health issue.