In a country characterized by a punitive approach to marijuana policy, the state of New York has some of the harshest enforcement practices. New York’s decriminalization of personal possession of marijuana still operates within the framework of prohibition, allowing profound harms to be inflicted upon the state and its residents. Here are some of the symptoms of New York’s broken marijuana policies.
New York’s Marijuana Policies Are Broken
Prohibition by the Numbers
Marijuana Arrests in 2016
Of those arrested in 2016, more than 80% were people of color, despite similar rates of use across racial lines.
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Without reform, New York will continue to fall behind changing public opinion and responsible policymaking regarding marijuana. It is time for New York to fix its broken marijuana policies and repair the harm caused by the war on drugs. It is time to end prohibition.