Category Archives: drug crimes
What is Drug Possession with Intent to Sell?
In our lifetime, the law has begun to treat people charged with drug possession more humanely and to acknowledge that addiction is an illness, not a series of malicious acts. For example, Rockland County has a drug court program that connects people charged with drug possession or other nonviolent offenses that stem from incidents… Read More »
Could Legalized Recreational Cannabis Be New York State’s Ticket to Economic Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic?
When you look at the history of cannabis policies, it becomes obvious that New York was miles ahead of the rest of the country for decades. In some ways, it is surprising that New York has not legalized recreational cannabis use for adults at the state level, when eleven other states, including deep red… Read More »
Rockland County Drug Court Aims to Help Defendants in Their Paths to Society
Does it make sense to send someone to prison for years, or even decades, for possession of a single dose of illegal drugs? Given our society’s current understanding of substance use disorder as an illness, it is cruel and unfair to compound the suffering of people struggling with addiction by imposing prison sentences, followed… Read More »
What’s Next for New Jersey Marijuana Laws If the Recreational Cannabis Referendum Passes?
It is an understatement to say that a lot is at stake in this year’s presidential election, and in New Jersey, voters will have a chance with a big decision about one of the most fragrant, and most polarizing, plants in the Garden State. On Election Day, New Jersey voters will have a chance… Read More »
NYPD Under Investigation for Violent Arrest of Black Man Smoking Marijuana Joint After Decriminalization
One Wednesday evening in March was a very difficult one for a New York citizen who was what many consider to be the victim of police misconduct for smoking a joint of marijuana (even though possessing less than two ounces of marijuana has been decriminalized In the state of New York). Specifically, a viral… Read More »
New Jersey Voters Will Decide Whether to Decriminalize Recreational Use of Marijuana in 2020
Close to one million people have been arrested on marijuana-related charges in New Jersey since 1990, reflecting one of the highest marijuana-related arrested rates in the country. The state also has one of the most burdensome expungement processes as well. However, in December, New Jersey lawmakers officially placed a ballot question referendum to legalize… Read More »
The Inability for Law Enforcement to Distinguish Hemp from Marijuana Leads to False Arrests
Police officers around the country have routinely been mistakenly cracking down on what they believe are marijuana busts, but what actually turn out to be sources of legal hemp. Law enforcement arguably found itself unprepared for the legalization of hemp, as even traditional tools – such as drug-sniffing dogs and tests that still only… Read More »
Legal Marijuana In New York: Questions Remaining
A number of questions remain concerning the decriminalization (and legalization) of marijuana in New York. Linked to these questions are those related to the state’s approach to CBD products and where things are headed in terms of past drug infractions. Currently, there is a significant amount of uncertainty concerning all of these issues, which… Read More »
As New Jersey Gets Close To Legalizing Marijuana, Let’s Look At What Expungement Involves
We’ve discussed the potential legalization of marijuana in New Jersey before, and the state may, at last, be very close to legalizing it, however, the governor has also promised to expunge previous marijuana-related convictions. Still, that process may be easier said than done; as New Jersey’s expungement process is incredibly complex. There is no… Read More »
Are CBD Edibles Illegal In New York?
Where the line between legal and illegal is when it comes to Cannabidiol (CBD) edibles has come under strict scrutiny here in New York, as officials with the city’s Department of Health have recently started cracking down and dropping in on CBD businesses, confiscating products and prohibiting them from being sold. CBD is currently… Read More »
