New York man smokes pot in front of two NYPD police officers in celebration of legal marijuana

In The Big Apple, a man celebrated legal weed by smoking marijuana in front of two NYPD officers – all caught on camera.

“Happy Quarantine!” the man greets the police as he inhales and exhales.

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Adults in New York over the age of 21 can now own and use marijuana – even in public – under a legislative bill signed by Andrew Cuomo’s government on Wednesday. is set.

Succeeding after several years of established efforts, the measure makes New York the 16th state in the country to legalize the use of the drug by adults.

New York is becoming the second most populous state after California to legalize recreational marijuana.

Supporters of legalization hope the Empire State will gain momentum and set an example with its efforts to redress the inequalities of a system that has locked up coloreds for marijuana offenses at excessive rates.

The legislation provides protection to marijuana users in the workplace, housing, family court, schools, colleges and universities, and sets a target to provide half of marijuana licenses to individuals from under-represented communities. And the police could no longer use the smell of cannabis as a reason to search someone’s car for smuggled goods.

New York will automatically eliminate some marijuana-related convictions, and people will not be arrested or prosecuted for possession of pots up to 3 ounces. A 2019 law has already erased many convictions from the past and reduced the penalty for possession of small amounts.

In a unique provision, New Yorkers 21 and older can now smoke cannabis in public, even on sidewalks.

No other state allows it, says Paul Armentano, deputy director of the pro-legalization group NORML.

Yet New Yorkers cannot smoke or evaporate marijuana in places where smoking is prohibited by state law, including workplaces, bars and restaurants within a school. And stricter local smoking rules apply: New York City bans smoking in parks and on beaches, for example.

Local governments can enforce stricter rules on the use of marijuana, ban retailers or cannabis lounges, and impose small civil fines – as long as it does not ‘completely or substantially prohibit a person’ from using marijuana legally.

According to the trade publication Marijuana Business Daily, New York could become the largest market for recreational marijuana on the East Coast, which will generate potential sales of $ 2.3 billion by the fourth year.

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Cuomo, the troubled Democrat, said the annual tax revenue could eventually reach $ 300 million.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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