Problem:
Create a peer response: I live in New York state, where medical and recreational marijuana have been legalized since 2021, and sale of marijuana in state-approved dispensaries was made legal in 2022. I think that this is an amazing initiative to have been taken by New York lawmakers, because the instances for criminalization of marijuana before this time were evidently biased. A study conducted in 2020 by the Legal Aid Society showed that 93% of marijuana-related arrests made in the five boroughs were of Black or Hispanic individuals (2021). Even though arrests are still made in relation to marijuana, the expanded laws that legalize it are overall beneficial to curtail the unjust manner in which these arrests took place. One policy that I would like to see furthered is the initiative being taken by Kathy Hochul to cut down on illicit sale of marijuana through illegal storefronts, in order to protect those dispensaries that are selling legally. The initiative outlines providing the Office of Cannabis Management here in New York to close down businesses that are selling to minors, marketing products that are not tested, processed or labeled in a legal manner, or selling products that have led to unwarranted illness or hospitalization (2024). I believe that this goal set by the governor is beneficial overall to the continued legalization of marijuana, as the continuation of illegal sale and development of unregistered dispensaries hurts the efforts of these laws to make