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When marijuana was illegal in New York, Naiomy Guerrero’s brother was frequently stopped by police and convicted on drug charges. She is now establishing a legal cannabis business, a promising but risky new market.
New York state is offering its first 150 licences for the legal sale of cannabis to people convicted of drug-related offences, including selling, and their relatives.
The policy, which was put in place by the state’s Democratic leaders, aims to compensate African-American and Hispanic communities whose members were disproportionately arrested and convicted during the decades when marijuana was illegal.
“It’s such an exciting time for my family,” said Guerrero, a 31-year-old PhD art history student whose parents are Dominicans.
Guerrero was one of the first 28 successful applicants to receive a licence to open an official store and sell locally grown cannabis last month.
The licences are issued more than a year after New York State, which has a population of 20 million people, legalised cannabis use.
The smell of marijuana is now as common in New York City as yellow taxis and gleaming skyscrapers.
The city government anticipates that the legal cannabis industry will generate $1.3 billion in sales by next year and between 19,000 and 24,000 jobs in three years. This represents much-needed tax revenue.
Disparities in race
Jeremy Rivera is another New Yorker looking to make money. He was convicted of a “non-violent drug offence involving cannabis” in 2016. He was released from prison in 2018 and has vowed never to return.
The 36-year-old plans to use his cannabis knowledge and business acumen to open a weed shop on Long Island, east of the city.
Rivera, who grew up in Queens surrounded by crime, hopes to be among the next group of licensees.
“I want to be that beacon of light that shows people, ‘Hey, listen, I did it. I was a 20-year gang member and a year-round drug dealer. ‘I made the decision to leave that way of life,’ “He told AFP.
To be eligible for one of the first 150 licences, applicants must have a profitable business in addition to a cannabis conviction.
A state report from 2018 estimated that there had been 800,000 arrests for marijuana possession in the previous 20 years.
In 2017, the majority of those arrested were Black (48%) with Hispanics accounting for 38% of all arrests.
“Prohibition denied people opportunities, caused divestment in communities, and broke up families,” said Tremaine Wright, chairwoman of New York’s Office of Cannabis Management’s control board (OCM).
While the cannabis programme is ambitious, experts predict that implementation will be difficult.
“We are still at the very beginning of our social equity journey. We require education as well as funding “said Desmon Lewis, co-founder of The Bronx Community Foundation, which is assisting applicants.
Illegal sales
This raises concerns that candidates may not receive the ready-made stores they were promised.
“Some people are perplexed. They are reliant on this location and these funds. It appears that the sand beneath their feet is shifting “, said Eli Northrup of the non-profit Bronx Defenders.
Unlicensed sellers, emboldened by decriminalisation, are also causing concern.
They have taken advantage of the lack of controls since legalisation, selling on the street, in parks, and in smoke shops that already sell THC edibles, pre-rolls, and flower.
But Rivera only sees opportunities.
“This is the start of the next 100 years of cannabis sales,” he added, puffing on a long joint.
