Prior to cannabis legalization in 2021, decades of marijuana criminalization targeted Black and brown New Yorkers, destroying lives and relegating generations of families to a nearly unbreakable cycle of poverty. Now that cannabis retail is legal, it is imperative that the communities that have been historically most affected by criminalization must be the ones that most benefit from legalization.
New York’s emerging cannabis industry is an opportunity to build wealth in the communities ripped apart by the war on drugs and recover from the devastation caused by the pandemic. This sector will generate more than $1 billion in economic activity and 20,000+ jobs.
Our office is committed to doing everything we can to maximize equity and economic potential in the burgeoning cannabis space. We must strike the delicate balance between regulation and taking advantage of the economic potential for equity and recovery.
