Toni Smith, [email protected], 212-613-8060
(NEW YORK, NY) – This afternoon, Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes announced that after more than two decades in state office, she will not seek re-election this year. As lead co-sponsor of the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), which just celebrated its five year anniversary, Majority Leader Peoples-Stokes championed groundbreaking marijuana legalization that prioritized community repair and reinvestment.
In response to the announcement, Toni Smith, New York State Director for the Drug Policy Alliance, issued the following statement:
“Today, we celebrate Majority Leader People-Stokes, a trailblazing organizer, consensus-builder, and steadfast champion for New York communities. Her work as lead co-sponsor for the MRTA created a blueprint for how states can prioritize repair and reinvestment through marijuana legalization. The impact of her leadership is felt everyday across the state, in the lives of people who have had their arrest records expunged so they can access jobs and housing, who are not subjected to marijuana arrest, who have started businesses and obtained employment in the adult-use market, and who are beginning to see tax dollars reinvested into their communities for jobs, youth programming, and health services.
“Drug Policy Alliance has had the distinct honor of collaborating with Majority Leader Peoples-Stokes and Senator Liz Krueger for nearly fifteen years on the MRTA. Their combined political courage and uncompromising moral clarity advanced a vision of marijuana policy rooted in public health, dignity, and safety—long before it was widely embraced.
“We commend Majority leader Peoples-Stokes for her years of dedicated service and are deeply grateful for her unwavering commitment to delivering a New York State that works for everyone.”
BACKGROUND
For years, DPA has worked to end marijuana prohibition in New York and create a new, well-regulated, and inclusive marijuana industry that is rooted in racial and economic justice.
In 2021, DPA worked closely with advocates, communities impacted by prohibition, and lawmakers to reach the finish line and see the legislature pass the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) with robust provisions for addressing prior harms of criminalization, groundbreaking social equity architecture, and significant community reinvestment of cannabis tax revenue. The MRTA made over 400,000 marijuana-related convictions eligible for expungement, unlocking jobs, housing, and opportunities that were previously blocked. It also significantly reduced drug arrests, reinvested hundreds of millions of tax dollars into communities, and built a legal market that prioritizes small businesses and communities most harmed by marijuana criminalization.
###
About Drug Policy Alliance
The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) addresses the harms of drug use and drug criminalization through policy solutions, organizing, and public education. We advocate for a holistic approach to drugs that prioritizes health, social supports, and community wellbeing. DPA opposes punitive approaches that destabilize people, block access to care, and drain communities of resources. We believe that the regulation of drugs should be grounded in evidence, health, equity, and human rights. In collaboration with other movements, we change laws, advance justice, and save lives.
