In the first quarter of 2021, before legalization took effect, New York City saw 163 arrests for marijuana possession. Police arrested people both for holding quantities of marijuana that were decriminalized back in 2019 (under two ounces), and for quantities that were over the decriminalization limit. (When Cuomo signed a bill to decriminalize marijuana possession in July 2019, it meant that anyone caught with up to two ounces could be given a fine of up to $200 and not arrested.)
What is a Social Equity Program?
Murphy hinted that he is now open to the idea of decriminalizing marijuana, which he had been staunchly opposed to before. He told host Nancy Solomon that because the status quo of having a disproportionately high number of racial minorities getting criminal records for small amounts of cannabis that it’s something, “we must consider.”
State Senator Rice released an op-ed on the 4th of July, in which he made a plea to his peers in the New Jersey State Legislature to prioritize decriminalization-
“We can make this happen and put our state at the vanguard of social justice in America. We can infuse our independence with a deeper level of freedom grounded in real justice for all. We can give the Fourth of July even greater meaning and let our fireworks reflect our own impossible formations of brilliance that make us one vibrant, colorful nation.”
The legislative committees recognized some of these well-known disparities. Black people are three times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites, even though both races use marijuana at the same rate. Once someone is arrested on a marijuana charge, meaningful employment is often unobtainable. Some student loans and educational grants become unavailable, and a record of incarceration becomes a lifetime weight.