Two main factors of legalization of a substance come down to public opinion and government representation that listens. In New York State, those two factors are coming together and making it more likely than not that New York will see a marijuana law on the books sooner rather than later.
Public opinion polls covering all population groups in the state show a 63% approval rate for the idea of legalizing marijuana. This is a result of research that outlines potential impact on the health of the state’s citizens, their social lives and even the economy.
Legalization would decrease health risks, since it would provide additional options to the method of consumption. Legalization also would be beneficial, because the poor and minority communities suffer most from the prosecution of drug charges related to marijuana possession. The prison systems would also be reducing the number of inmates by almost half.
Meanwhile, Democratic hopeful Nathan McMurray, who is running for the 27th Congressional District seat in New York, maintains that legalization of marijuana will help decrease the number of opioid deaths due to overdose and also will benefit specific areas when it comes to financial improvement.
McMurray is a Grand Island town supervisor. He supports Marijuana Justice bills that are currently in the US House and Senate committees. He also feels farming districts can benefit from taxation of the cannabis, once legalized. His stance is that these funds can be used to help treat those with opioid addiction and also benefit the local economy in general. Both of these are current needs in areas of his district, which reflects his awareness and desire to address the biggest needs of the area residents.
McMurray notes mounting evidence that marijuana legalization reduces the amount of deaths due to opioid abuse. While this is not backed by statistics, there are current studies that may support his claim. This, along with his other contentions, mean that McMurray’s run for office may be paved with the support of those who do not see marijuana as a risk worth its current status. From there, it will be interesting to see what McMurray does when faced with other bills regarding the legalization of marijuana, potential uses for taxes, and potential profit for government entities.
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