DPA Statement on Illinois State Senate Passing Legislation to Legalize Marijuana

(ALBANY, NY) – Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) released the following statement this morning responding to the Illinois State Senate passing legislation that would legalize marijuana:
 
“Illinois is another state ahead of New York that is one step closer to legalizing marijuana and expunging related past convictions for possession. Illinois legislators recognize that ‘prohibition simply does not work,’ and that equity, and social and economic justice must be at the heart of marijuana legalization. Our New York State elected officials should be ashamed: as they stall on passing this important legislation, thousands of mostly black and brown New Yorkers are languishing in jails, experiencing limited access to medical marijuana, and losing out on economic opportunities across this state. Albany still has time, and lawmakers can prove to Illinois and the rest of the nation that New York is ready to uphold its progressive promise by enacting the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act into law this session. If New York wants to continue to claim that our state is a leader in this country, we must pass the MRTA now!”
 
Start SMART NY is a campaign to end marijuana prohibition and repair the harms to communities convened by the Drug Policy Alliance in partnership with groups dedicated to ending marijuana prohibition.