Dominican “Teresa González”, 35, who prefers to use a fictitious name to protect her identity, discovered last year that her two teenage sons, ages 15 and 17, students at an Inwood high school, were using marijuana. Her “supplier” was a classmate.
“When I found out about this I went crazy. The first thing they answered me was: In which world do you live? Weed is already legal in New York,” she commented.
The islander, like thousands of parents and representatives from the Big Apple, is trying to understand how to face the fact that recreational cannabis for adults has been legalized since March 2021, and even more, how this new reality will impact life. of their children.
“I understand that for many years here the majority of young people have been tempted to drugs. Even more so in this city. But what is clear is that now there is the certainty that it is something natural and harmless, that it is not harmful. So much so, that they sell it legally in stores”, highlighted the quisqueyana.
In fact, due to the scope of the legislation, the first over-the-counter dispensary in Lower Manhattan already exists. Only for over 21 years.
Also in Upper Manhattan, the Dominican grandmothers Miriam Valerio and Carmen Caro have a very personal and radical opinion about one of the effects that the legalization of cannabis will bring in a very short time.
“What this legalization did was send a message that using drugs is something very normal. And it will bring more vices to the youngest and children, who will have more facilities to get everything in every corner. If we were already bad before. Imagine now”, the immigrants agree almost in chorus.
More presence in schools
But Miriam and Carmen’s personal reasoning, faced with one of the most controversial and polarizing issues in recent New York history, already has some data to back it up.
Some approaches from the New York City Department of Education (DOE), shared by the Chalkbeat publication, seem to shed some light on the concerns of these mothers and grandmothers consulted in Upper Manhattan: “Reports of controlled substances and drug reports found in students at school increased by 8% in 2022, compared to the same period in 2019.”
According to data released by the publication specialized in educational issues, despite the fact that the K-12 student population has decreased by 11%, the increases in drug possession reports were even greater in middle school.
Likewise, a Puerto Rican teacher at a school in Harlem, who also chose to keep his identity confidential, personally profiles it as a “growing trend” among the earliest grades of high school.
“I do not know if it is something associated with the legalization of marijuana in the state. Nobody could guarantee it. But before, the boys who smoked tried to hide their consumption more. Now they feel freer. Even more so with this vaping thing. And since there are many forms like gummies, everything happens more concealed”, describes the secondary school teacher.
Schools have their protocols, but…
The truth is that the consumption and possession of weed in school spaces in New York, despite the new legislation, is considered a very serious offense, which not only leads to disciplinary measures, but also requires that students be directed to special programs, counseling, and meetings with their families. Everything depends on each context and the reality of each campus.
For this reason, the DOE has the Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention Specialists (SAPIS) program that provides a range of prevention and intervention services in grades K-12.
This program provides workshops for parents that address alcohol and substance abuse issues, as well as bullying and violence prevention. SAPIS also provides crisis response schemes to public schools that need support during these types of incidents.
However, as Chalkbeat points out, “the number of dedicated substance abuse counselors in city schools has nearly halved over the past decade, leaving many educational units unsure exactly how to respond.”
In fact, when the Dominican Teresa González went to present her concern on campus about the marijuana products she discovered in her children, they offered her information about some programs and meetings. They followed up consulting sessions. But in her opinion, that “will never be enough.”
“Here is a drug that is already legalized. And it’s easier to find. When they called me to counseling, they asked me if my children had anxiety or family crises. Or if someone in the house used substances. My answer was very clear: All the young people in the school are the ones who use the weed,” she said emphatically.
On the other hand, DOE sources stressed that “there is not, nor will there be, any relaxation of disciplinary measures against students, for the use or possession of substances. Nothing has changed in school spaces with this issue”.
The risk of poisoning
Commercial and legal access to more marijuana-derived products, such as gummies, also brings other concerns outside of the classroom, already being considered even by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Children, adults, and pets may mistake marijuana products, particularly edibles, for regular food or candy. If they use marijuana, children could become seriously ill, and have difficulty walking or sitting or breathing,” a CDC report concludes.
It is also very clear to this federal agency that since marijuana use was legalized in some states, the number of unintentional poisonings in children has increased. Some cases have required emergency room visits or hospitalizations.
In its updates, the CDC notes that secondhand marijuana smoke also contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the compound responsible for most of its psychoactive effects (or the “high”).
Recent studies have found strong associations between reports of having someone in the home who uses marijuana (for example, fathers, mothers, relatives, or caregivers) and children with detectable levels of THC.
“Children exposed to THC are potentially at risk of negative health effects. More research is needed to understand how secondhand marijuana exposure may affect children,” concludes a comprehensive CDC report.
“Childproof”
In the opinion of Jeffrey García, creator of the Latino Cannabis Association in New York, the legislation approved in 2021 includes strict regulations, so that all consumers have rigorous measures to protect minors. Rules that did not exist before.
“I understand that this still requires a lot of education and cultural changes. But legalization is a very positive point, precisely to prevent children and young people from having access to very poor quality products on the black market, ”she reasoned.
García assures that New York is undergoing an adaptation process, which includes educating consumers more. But it also means overcoming the same fears that arose when alcohol consumption was legalized 100 years ago.
“The spirit of the law is very clear. We are aware that precisely in our Hispanic communities, we must educate much more. But nothing more negative than the smuggling and black market scheme, which precisely means a great risk for the children and young people of our neighborhoods, ”she concluded.
Similarly, Lyla Hunt, deputy director of the New York Office of Cannabis Management, emphasized to local media that part of the goal of legalizing weed is to root out illicit vendors who are more likely to sell to children and offer products with higher THC or tetrahydrocannabinol content.
“In an unregulated cannabis market, there are no controls whatsoever to ensure that these products are kept away from young people,” he said.
Spokespersons for this new state agency assure that they have been very strict in sharing the best practices for operators and those who receive a cultivation and commercialization license, above all, severely regulating that all packages legally distributed in New York dispensaries are sealed “tamper-proof.” children”.
“Cannabis is legal now. That doesn’t mean it’s legal for everyone. Nor is it legal everywhere. Parents should keep these products under lock and key,” the official stressed.
Background across the country
However, already on the cusp of the definitive takeoff of cannabis products legally marketed in dispensaries in New York, there are some precedents throughout the country: There was a dramatic jump in the number of children under 6 years of age who accidentally ingested cookies, gummies and cannabis-infused candy over a five-year period, according to a study recently published in the journal Pediatrics.
Specifically, more than 7,000 cases of children under 6 years of age were poisoned throughout the country according to statistics from the National Poisoning Data System between 2017 and 2021.
There were 207 cases in 2017 and 3,054 in 2021. More than half of the children were between 2 and 3 years old. More than 90% got groceries at home.
The underlying problem, it seems, is that many of these edible products are presented as colored jelly beans, chocolate bars, and cookies packaged to resemble popular snack foods.
What do the marijuana laws in NY state?
- In March 2021, the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Law (MRTA) was approved.
- As with alcohol, only persons 21 years of age or older may possess and use adult cannabis.
- Adults 21 years and older may possess up to 3 ounces of cannabis and 24 grams of concentrated cannabis (as vaping oil or an edible product).
- Adults are required to keep these products in a safe place and out of the reach of people under 21 years of age.
- It is illegal and dangerous to drive under the under the influence of cannabis. You can be prosecuted for driving under the influence and would be subject to the same penalties as driving under the influence.
- Smoking cannabis is prohibited anywhere tobacco smoking is prohibited. Remember that landlords, property owners, and leasing companies can still prohibit the use of cannabis in their properties.
- Since marijuana is federally illegal, you cannot cross state or international borders while in possession of this product.