mayor Archives - TheJointBlog

The Next Mayor of New York City Supports Cannabis Decriminalization

September 23, 2013 by Anthony Martinelli

The primaries are over, and New York City has narrowed down its mayoral candidates to three; Republican Joseph Lhota, Democrat Bill de Blasio and Independent Adolfo Carrión, Jr.. All of these candidates are supporters of cannabis law reform, and are in favor of decriminalizing or legalizing cannabis.

Joseph Lhota was actually the first New York City mayoral candidates to come out in support of recreational cannabis legalization. Bill De Blasio is in support of decriminalizing cannabis, including public display; “I support legislation to decriminalize the display of small amounts of marijuana,” he said during an interview in July, “The current law saddles many young people with a criminal record unfairly and it must be changed.”

New Jersey Mayor and U.S. Senate Candidate Calls for Decriminalization of Cannabis

August 30, 2013August 28, 2013 by Anthony Martinelli

Newark, New Jersey Mayor and U.S. Senate candidate Cory Booker announced today his plans to drastically reform our nation’s criminal justice system. Part of this plan, among many other suggested reforms, includes the full decriminalization of cannabis.

“One of the biggest wastes of taxpayer dollars in our society today can be found in a criminal justice system in serious need in reform,” Booker said in a statement released today. He continues; “The issue of mass incarceration implicates the safety of our communities, billions of taxpayer dollars, and the health and cohesion of our families. Our next steps will determine whether our criminal justice system remains a vehicle for rigid punishment and waste, or becomes a springboard for rehabilitation, opportunity, and hope.”

New York City Mayoral Candidate Announces Plan to Legalize Cannabis

August 22, 2013August 14, 2013 by Anthony Martinelli

New York City’s Comptroller John Liu, who’s currently running for mayor, has proposed a drastic overhaul of the city’s cannabis policies, calling for both the legalization of medical cannabis, as well as the legalization of cannabis for recreational purposes. According to John Liu, who recently commissioned a report on the issue, the city would raise over $400 million in annual revenue if it were to legalize cannabis with a 20% excise tax.

Liu claims that, according to this report, New York City has a $1.65 billion annual cannabis market.