Gov. Cuomo Signs Bill into Law to Legalize Marijuana, Mayor De Blasio Very Pleased

by Yehudit Garmaise
After both houses of the New York legislature passed a bill to legalize marijuana last night, today, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the legislation into law, which will go into effect in one year.
Although the bill’s opponents worry about the negative effects, such as the distribution and marketing of the drug to minors, increased traffic deaths, the normalization of drug use in society, and the revenue from the drug being used for criminal purposes, such as guns, gangs, and cartels, this morning at his press conference, Mayor Bill de Blasio called New York’s legalization of marijuana “really good news.”
“Last night the state legislature made history and acted to right a wrong and legalize marijuana the right way,” the mayor said. “I want to thank the leadership for being so conscientious now over several years, really studying the issue carefully: focusing on the right way to do thing, with a particular eye toward addressing the mistakes of the past.”
In particular, the mayor thanked the Sen. Liz Kruger and Assembly Crystal Member Peoples-Stokes, the bill’s sponsors for their work to “do legalization in the right way” and for their “focus on equity.”
In particular, the mayor is pleased that the legalization of marijuana will “make sure that the economic opportunities that would come would focus on the communities that were most harmed by the previous drug laws.”
Mayor de Blasio was also pleased that law will correct “mistakes of the past,” such as preventing “the convictions that held back so many people for very small offenses, which will be expunged, and we will focus on investment in communities that have suffered and ensuring that this is part of their economic rebirth.”
When BoroPark24 asked the mayor this morning whether he fears any negative consequences that could emerge from the legalization of marijuana, he said he saw the concern, but that “like every other challenge in society,” we should bring [marijuana use] out in the open, address it, educate people, and take the steps to help people be their best selves and be safe.
“That is a [heck] of a lot better than having it be a shadow economy and think that is going to work for us.”
(Photo: Don Pollard/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo)