Regarding the MRTA: "Thank you to Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Senator Liz Krueger and all of the staff who have worked so hard to patiently address members’ and more importantly New Yorkers’ concerns about equity and safety as we move towards making more comprehensive and just law surrounding marijuana. This is a complex issue that strikes at the core of our commitments as elected leaders. There is no secret I have had great ambivalence about this issue, in large part due to my concern about the impact on young people. I am mindful that many parents in my district and elsewhere, as well as many in law enforcement, have deep worries about the impact on our school age children. How do we protect them from dangers while ensuring our criminal justice system treats people equitably and fairly, especially our young people, regardless of their skin color or where they live? Our existing policies surrounding marijuana have failed to live up to commitments. They have not protected our young people or curtailed youth marijuana usage. Rather, they have generated a readily available illicit market that places young people at increased risk—both from dangerous, uncontrolled substances and from disparate law enforcement efforts—that have left too many, particularly young people of color, with criminal records that exclude them from student loans, employment, and other opportunities."  3/30/21

Email: vfields@nysenate.gov

Web: https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/shelley-mayer

Phone: 518-455-2031