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, emitió el siguiente comunicado:
“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.”
FONDO
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.
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Acerca de la Alianza de Políticas de Drogas
La Alianza de Políticas de Drogas (DPA) Aborda los daños del consumo de drogas y su criminalización a través de soluciones políticas, organización y educación pública. Abogamos por un enfoque holístico de las drogas que priorice la salud, el apoyo social y el bienestar de la comunidad. La DPA se opone a los enfoques punitivos que desestabilizan a las personas, bloquean el acceso a la atención médica y agotan los recursos de las comunidades. Creemos que la regulación de las drogas debe basarse en la evidencia, la salud, la equidad y los derechos humanos. En colaboración con otros movimientos, cambiamos las leyes, promovemos la justicia y salvamos vidas.
