Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of New York proposes Monday changes in the New York State law that would essentially decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, which has resulted in a huge number of arrests among the black and Latino community.
Cuomo seeks to ask legislators to change the law that has propelled police to arrest people, particularly from the minority group, for possession of small amounts of marijuana, which inadvertently is affecting their chances for employment.
Cuomo's push for this change in legislation will come in direct conflict with Mayor Bloomberg and his administration's stop and frisk policy. The stop & frisk tactics of the police has been a recent point of discourse in New York. Cuomo argues that the policy has allowed police to pull over a person for one reason and then upon conducting their search arrest the indiviual for a completely different one (i.e. possession of marijuana).
According to minority advocacy groups and lawmakers, the administration's policy has had a negative effect on the employment rate of the black and Hispanic community. Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, told the New York Times, "For individuals who have any kind of a record, even a minuscule one, the obstacles are enormous to employment and to education, When it's really a huge number of kids in the community who go through this, and all have the same story, the impact is just devastating."
The New York Times reports that in 2011, the NYPD has arrested more people for the possession of marijuana in small quantities than for any other defense. The number according to the newspaper exceeds 50,686.
Cuomo seems to be the champion of the minority, after involving himself in the controversy over hailing livery cabs and the dispute over requiring fingerprints for food stamp applicants, will take on this mission at the end of the legislative session on June 21, as reported by the New York Times.
