Gothamist: Cuomo Changes His Marijuana Legalization Plan Following Widespread Criticism

“Eli Northrup, an attorney with the Bronx Defenders who raised concerns about Cuomo’s initial proposal, said these changes look promising, although he hasn’t seen the new version of the bill. But he added that more remains to be done.

“It’s still a misdemeanor to possess any amount of illicit cannabis under his proposal,” noted Northrup. “If you happen to buy a joint from someone who doesn’t have a license under his proposal you could face a year in jail and these amendments don’t appear to have changed that.”

He added that the governor’s announcement also doesn’t address the issue of police being able to use the smell of marijuana to justify searches, something the MRTA would explicitly ban.”

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