Growing up in NY, I saw a lot of changes. I saw NY go from “Republican”, and I use that term very loosely, to its present state, a communist wonderland. It’s truly an awful place to live if you hate big government and big taxes.
A recent trip last week solidified that idea with me – it’s going down so quickly it’s scary. But I digress…There’s a lot of problems with NY, too many to list here, but that’s not the point of this article today.
I grew up on the South Shore of Long Island and ended up leaving in 2005 for greener pastures and during my time there, one thing was for sure – NY’s war on drugs. It was very obvious and that’s great. It was slammed down your throat from the moment you started elementary school and ended high school. Drugs are bad and I get that and good for NY. Personally, I’ve never touched anything. Do I owe the state for that? No. It’s a personal choice.
So, let’s fast forward a bit…
The State law makers in Albany have been talking it up in regards to weed. Currently, there are 21 states that allow the use of Medical Marijuana and now, NY is looking to become 22. But this isn’t the first time they’ve tried – this is another attempt at legalization, with some minor changes to the bill. The new version, introduced Friday, removed language that gave doctors freedom to prescribe pot for a wide array of symptoms.
Instead, the new version limits its use to about 20 serious conditions; including cancer, traumatic brain injury, AIDS, Parkinson’s Disease, multiple sclerosis and post- traumatic stress disorder. This new version also prevents anyone under 21 from being able to smoke marijuana for medicinal purposes (though they could be prescribed other forms of the drug) and forbids anyone with a felony narcotics conviction from working in a marijuana dispensary.
That’s all well and good… But why the change of heart? Here’s why…
$1.53 billion: The amount the national legal marijuana market is worth, according to a Nov. 2013 report from ArcView Market Research, a San Francisco-based investor group focused on the marijuana industry.
$10.2 billion: The estimated amount the national legal marijuana market will be worth in five years, according to that same ArcView report.
$6.17 million: The amount of tax revenue collected in Colorado on legal marijuana sales in just the first two months of 2014.
$98 million: The total tax revenue that Colorado could reap in the fiscal year that begins in July.
$40 million: The amount of marijuana tax revenue Colorado is devoting to public school construction.
So, it’s easy to see the change of heart. I’m willing to bet that all cash strapped states, as well as tax hungry states, will be penning bills just like this one. And this is just a precursor to all out decriminalization.
It’s about testing the water and with this bill. That’s exactly what’s going on.
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