Suffolk legislators will convene public hearing on pending state proposal to legalize marijuana in New York

With state lawmakers considering bills that will legalize the recreational use of marijuana in New York, Suffolk County legislators are seeking public input on the idea.

Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory, Legislator William Spencer, a physician who chairs the County Legislature’s health committee and Legislator Tom Donnelly, chairman of the legislature’s public safety committee, will hold a public hearing on Monday, Feb. 25 in the legislative auditorium in Smithtown.

“Members of the public are invited to share their thoughts on the potential impact that legalizing marijuana in New York State would have in Suffolk County,” the legislators said in a press release.

The hearing will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the William H. Rogers Building, 725 Veterans Memorial Highway, Smithtown.

Gregory said he wants to be prepared and educated on all sides well in advance of any state action. The issue may eventually come before the County Legislature, as policy decisions may need to be made relating to rollout of a state law.

“So many considerations surround legalizing recreational marijuana,” Gregory said.

“This is a new industry that will impact society at every level,” he said. “We are entering unchartered territory and we want to make sure we hear all sides, explore all angles, and understand all opinions so that we are prepared should this issue come before the legislature,” the presiding officer said.

“It is important for the sake of regional consistency that, if possible, local governments have a unified approach, and in that spirit, I look forward to hearing from our residents and local leaders” Gregory said.

New York would be the 11th state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

The bills currently under consideration in Albany would make it legal for people 21 years of age or older to possess, use, buy or transport up to two pounds of marijuana and four and one-half ounces of concentrated cannabis and possess, plant, cultivate, dry and process up to six living marijuana plants. The bills would remove marijuana as a schedule one hallucinogen on the schedules of controlled substances.

The state would license and tax the production and retail sale of marijuana. Unlicensed sale of marijuana would be a criminal offense — from a violation to a felony, depending on the amount sold.

The proposed legislation would not allow people to smoke marijuana in public or smoke it in any location where smoking tobacco is prohibited. The possession or use of marijuana products on the grounds of any school property will remain illegal, as will the use of marijuana products while operating a motor vehicle, boat, vessel, aircraft, or other vehicle used for transportation.

Legalizing the recreational use of marijuana is expected to increase revenue for state and local governments, according to the legislative memo accompanying the bills in the State Legislature. The memo noted that the State of Colorado estimated an annual revenue increase of from $5 million to $22 million as a result of legalizing the sale and use of marijuana.

“Given the larger population of New York State this legislation should generate revenue substantially larger than these estimates,” the memorandum states.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and leaders of the State Legislature say legislative reform is needed because, although possession of small amounts of marijuana has been decriminalized in New York since 1977, decriminalization has actually been inequitable. Young black and Latino men are disproportionately criminally charged for possessing small amounts of the drug, state officials say, even though young white men are far more likely to possess and use marijuana than non-whites, according to federal government statistics.

Tens of thousands of people are arrested in the state annually for possessing small amounts of marijuana for personal use, according to the legislative memo accompanying the bill.

“In other words, in New York, possessing small amounts of marijuana is largely decriminalized for people who are white and vastly more likely to be criminalized for people who are black or Latino,” the memo says.

“The consequences of New York’s inequitable decriminalization are severe. Today, nearly 600,000 New Yorkers are saddled with an arrest record for possessing small amounts of marijuana, the overwhelming majority of whom are black or Latino,” the memo says.

The proposed legislation also creates a process for those who have been arrested for possessing or sharing small amounts of marijuana to have their records stricken or sealed.