Two years have passed since the use of recreational marijuana was approved in all corners of New York State, and although the piece of law helped put an end to the criminalization suffered for years by the Latino and black communities that made up the vast majority of arrests and detentions for consuming it, a constant complaint from ordinary New Yorkers, like Costa Rican Sandra San Miguel, is that the Big Apple smells too much of weed.
The mother of the family, who has lived in the city for more than 20 years, assures that she does not see with good eyes that marijuana is consumed in public places under the same rules of cigarette use, which governs the recreational use of herb.
“It’s not that I’m a prude or that I don’t understand that times are changing, but it doesn’t seem right to me that people, especially young people, can go around smoking marijuana everywhere, bothering others with the smell and sometimes almost getting high on those of us who don’t like that,” said the Latina mother. “I think there should be limits or do as they do in Europe. where they have special cafes and bars for smoking, or at least where marijuana is treated the same as liquor, not cigarettes. You have to find a balance and mainly as a way of educating children”.
And following that perception, Republican legislators George Borrello, in the Senate, and Michael Novakhov, in the Assembly, are pushing through the state Legislature a bill that seeks to prohibit the consumption of marijuana in public places, unless there is a specific authorization that allows its use in certain places.
Senator Borrello said that current marijuana use regulations that allow smoking anywhere tobacco is allowed should be reviewed and each municipality should be free to legislate where it can and can’t be used.
“Since the enactment of the Marijuana Tax and Regulation Act (MRTA) in 2021, I have received many complaints from voters concerned about the increase in public use of marijuana. Residents of the state, including children, are now regularly assaulted by the pungent odor of marijuana on public sidewalks, in parking lots, and in other public spaces, and many New Yorkers do not want to be exposed to the effects of marijuana smoke or its odor and do not want their children to are exposed to it”, assured the legislator, defending his initiative.
The Republican senator, who also proposes creating a fine of $125 for each infraction on the use of marijuana in public areas that is eventually considered prohibited, also warned that putting marijuana use in the same line as tobacco use is not the most correct, and recalled that most states that have legalized recreational marijuana have limitations on its use in public areas.
“There is a world of difference between tobacco use and marijuana use, so it is not appropriate to apply the same public use rules. Marijuana contains THC, a powerful psychoactive drug that causes a high and can cause cognitive and motor impairment, similar to alcohol. People in this condition, on sidewalks or other public places, represent a potential danger to themselves or to others,” said the legislator. “Therefore, the same public consumption restrictions that apply to alcohol should apply to marijuana. That is the most responsible policy… the exponential growth in public marijuana use since the passage of the MRTA has resulted in a significant quality of life problem in cities and communities across the state. It is our duty to address this issue and this proposal is an important first step.”
But not everyone shares the position of the proponents of the bill, and friends of marijuana like Isauro Rangel, who mentioned that there are already limits on public places where marijuana cannot be smoked, such as around hospitals, schools, nursing homes and playgrounds, assures that if public use is further limited, it would lead to young Latinos and blacks being targets of police surveillance again.
“Marijuana is even less harmful than cigarettes and while there are people who don’t like the way it smells, putting a stop to recreational use again will only get you hunted down by the NYPD and even arrested for smoking. I think they should leave things as they are,” said the young Hispanic.
Diario NY contacted several senators and assembly members, as well as organizations that led the fight for the legalization of marijuana, and most preferred not to comment on the initiative to limit its consumption in public areas, stating that they do not know the piece of law. One of them, who preferred not to be mentioned by name, even assured that he does not see many chances of being approved either, because the Republican wing in Albany does not have control in the legislative chambers.