The Equity Organization Announces Support For New York Pausing Cannabis Legalization Push
The New York-based nonprofit joins a growing coalition of cannabis activists, advocates and industry operators calling for legislative action on marijuana legalization after the COVID-19 crisis concludes.
NEW YORK, March 31, 2020 — The Equity Organization, a nonprofit created in 2018 to advocate for communities disproportionately harmed by the racially-biased policies and practices of the country’s War on Drugs, has responded to the New York State Government’s agreement to table adult-use legislation during the COVID-19 crisis. Natalie Papillion, the organization’s Founder and Executive Director writes.
“We believe the public’s health and safety should be the state government’s main focus as the COVID-19 crisis escalates. To that end, we understand Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature’s decision to de-prioritize the inclusion of cannabis-related legislation in the state budget at this time.”
That said, the nonprofit organization remains optimistic about the opportunity to help legalize adult-use cannabis sales in New York later this year. They’ve renewed their commitment to work with policy experts, activists and industry leaders to help lawmakers craft and pass an equity-focused legalization proposal during the 2020 legislative session.
“The past six decades of cannabis prohibition has done little but destroy lives, devastate communities and accelerate the inequities in our state’s social fabric. And as the virus’s rapid spread in our state’s penal system — where thousands are imprisoned for simple possession each year—has sadly demonstrated, our archaic approach to marijuana has life-or-death consequences for people currently incarcerated on cannabis charges. We remain deeply committed to the cause of marijuana justice, and will continue to advocate for policies and programs that serve the individuals most adversely impacted by our illogical, inequitable and economically unsound policy of cannabis prohibition.”
The anticipated financial fallout of the COVID-19 crisis — and its impact on rapidly deflating local and state budgets — has renewed public and political interest in the revenue-generating power of legal marijuana. The Equity Organization’s approach to tackling the issue echoes that of State Senator Liz Krueger, who recently commented ”… there is no reason the legislature can’t negotiate and pass a nation-leading legalization model when the immediate crisis is over.”
“The economic consequences of this crisis will only hammer home the need for changes in the way New York approaches marijuana. Not only would cannabis tax revenues contribute an estimated $400 million a year to our rapidly-depleting local and state coffers, an end our prohibitionist policies — and the policing practices that prop them up — would free up billions in desperately-needed public dollars. Furthermore, cannabis legalization — if implemented correctly — could create thousands of jobs and countless economic opportunities in the communities hit hardest by heavy financial tolls the virus will undoubtedly take.”
When the timing is appropriate, The Equity Organization vows to work closely with New York lawmakers to advance a justice-centered approach to legalization in the legislature later this year.
“Legal marijuana won’t be a silver bullet for the state’s finances — nor will it fix all of the problems in our criminal legal system the pandemic has brought to the public’s attention. That said, the creation of a diverse, equitable and sustainable adult-use market will only help New York as it faces ballooning budget shortages, a broken criminal justice system, and a desperate need for new, equitable sources of economic development.”
