Friend,

Happy 4/20! It is a particularly exciting 4/20 because last year, New York State passed the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), a bill that finally decriminalizes marijuana statewide and we are already seeing the buds of this major victory grow into change! All puns intended.

MRTA begins to reverse the harmful policies of the past, but also builds a fair and sustainable industry from the ground up – an industry that won’t need future legislators to come in and undo because it already centers on the folks historically and negatively impacted by cannabis legislation.

First, the bill will decriminalize marijuana and expunge most previous convictions in an effort to repair some of the damages perpetuated by the War on Drugs. MRTA will ensure those communities benefit from legalization by prioritizing social equity license applicants and creating robust loan, grant, and incubator programs.

Second, MRTA prioritizes the workers that will make the growth, sale, and usage of weed possible – many of whom will be immigrant farmworkers, distressed farmers, and other excluded workers. 

Ultimately, legalization cannot happen without fair and healthy labor laws. That’s why this bill prioritizes licenses from distressed or smaller farms and requires farms with over 25 employees to have union contracts with farmers. 

I will work closely with all areas of the cannabis industry to ensure workers have access to previous labor legislation we have fought so hard for, like the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act, and the Excluded Workers Fund, and will support unions such as the local cannabis-worker union, RWDSU Local 338.

As you celebrate 4/20 today, keep in mind that while legalization is exciting, we must remain vigilant about centering both communities impacted by past marijuana policy AND the future cannabis worker community. 

Have a highly enjoyable 4/20,

Jessica Ramos