RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA SHOULD BE LEGALIZED HERE IN
NEW YORK STATE?
VOTE ON OUR WEBSITE
OR MOBILE APP.
WE'RE DEVOTING A LOT
OF TIME TO THIS TOPIC
TONIGHT -- BECAUSE
IT'S ONE OF THE
BIGGEST ISSUES THAT
OUR STATE
LAWMAKERS WILL FACE
IN A COUPLE OF
MONTHS... AND
BECAUSE IT'S BEEN
LEGALIZED IN OTHER
PARTS OF THE
COUNTRY -- AND UP IN
CANADA.
IN TONIGHT'S 2 ON
YOUR SIDE ORIGINAL...
CHANNEL 2'S MICHAEL
WOOTEN SHARES ALL
SIDES... IN THIS
IMPORTANT DEBATE.
IMPORTANT DEBATE.
"MARIJUANA. THE BURNING WEED WITH ITS ROOTS IN HELL..."
FOR GENERATIONS --
WE'VE
WE'VE BEEN WARNED OF THE DANGERS OF MARIJUANA.
BY THE 1930S... IT WAS
"ILLEGAL" IN EVERY
SINGLE STATE.
BUT NOW -- TENS OF
MILLIONS OF
AMERICANS LIVE IN
PLACES -- WHERE POT
IS ALLOWED.
AND THE TREND -- IS
"GROWING".
"RECREATIONAL
"GROWING". "RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA COULD
BECOME A REALITY IN
THE STATE OF
MICHIGAN."
"THE LEGALIZATION OF
MARIJUANA USE."
"RECREATIONAL
MARIJUANA IN THE
STATE."
"THE LEGALIZATION OF
MARIJUANA..."
"LEGALIZING
MARIJUANA..." "LEGALIZING RECREATIONAL
"LEGALIZING RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA."
RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA." IT'S ALMOST CERTAIN
MARIJUANA
LEGALIZATION WILL
COME UP FOR A VOTE IN
ALBANY IN THE COMING
MONTHS.
SO 2 ON YOUR SIDE
WENT TO GET "YOUR"
QUESTIONS
ANSWERED... FROM A
POLITICIAN WHO'S FOR
LEGALIZATION... AN
ADDICTION EXPERT
WHO'S AGAINST IT...
AND A DOCTOR -- WHO
FALLS SOMEWHERE IN
THE MIDDLE.
"WHY SHOULD NEW
YORK STATE LEGALIZE
RECREATIONAL
MARIJUANA? WELL
THERE ARE A NUMBER
OF REASONS. FIRST
AND MOST IMPORTANT
IN MY MIND IS SO THAT
WE CAN DE-
CRIMINALIZE THE USE
OF MARIJUANA, WHICH I
DON'T THINK
NECESSARILY SHOULD
BE INCARCERATING THE
NUMBERS OF
PARTICULARLY BLACK
AND BROWN PEOPLE
THAT IT HAS OVER THE
LAST MULTIPLE
DECADES. IT'S
LITERALLY DESTROYING
LIVES, DESTROYING
FAMILIES AND
DESTROYING
COMMUNITIES."
DESTROYING COMMUNITIES." "WHITE PEOPLE SMOKE
MORE, USE MARIJUANA
MORE THAN MINORITIES
OR PEOPLE OF COLOR,
BUT PEOPLE OF COLOR
ARE THE ONES WHO
GET INCARCERATED
FOR IT."
"WHY WOULD WE WANT
TO STILL KEEP IT
CRIMINAL AND LOCK
SOME PEOPLE UP. WE
SHOULDN'T."
SO WE TOOK
ASSEMBLYWOMAN
CRYSTAL PEOPLES-
STOKES' ARGUMENT...
TO JODIE ALTMAN,
CAMPUS DIRECTOR FOR
KIDS ESCAPING DRUGS.
"WE KNOW THERE ARE
RACIAL DISPARITIES IN
HOW THE LAWS ARE
APPLIED. HOW WOULD
YOU RESPOND TO
THOSE WHO BELIEVE
LEGALIZATION IS THE
ONLY WAY THAT YOU
CAN
CAN END
CAN END THIS FAILED WAR ON DRUGS?" "I UNDERSTAND THE
RACIAL DISPARITY, AND
SHE'S ABSOLUTELY
RIGHT THAT PEOPLE OF
COLOR HAVE BEEN
ARRESTED, HAVE BEEN
IMPRISONED. THAT'S A
SEPARATE ISSUE IN MY
MIND. THAT'S AN ISSUE
WITH THE LAWS. THAT'S
AN ISSUE WITH HOW
WE ENFORCE THE
LAWS. AND I
ABSOLUTELY THINK
THAT WE NEED TO
ADDRESS
ADDRESS THAT. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT LEGALIZING MARIJUANA
MAKES IT OKAY."
ALTMAN SAYS HER
FOCUS IS ON THE
MESSAGE
LEGALIZATION WILL
SEND TO TEENAGERS.
SHE HAS 62 KIDS ON
HER K-E-D CAMPUS --
ALL OF WHOM SAY THEY
HAVE USED MARIJUANA.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S
WORRISOME TO DR.
LASZLO MECHTLER,
RENOWNED
NEUROLOGIST AND
MEDICAL DOCTOR AT
DENT NEUROLOGIC
INSTITUTE.
"LAST YEAR, 71
PERCENT OF HIGH
SCHOOL SENIORS SAID
THEY DON'T VIEW
REGULAR MARIJUANA
SMOKING AS BEING
HARMFUL. WE KNOW,
SCIENTIFICALLY, THAT
IT CAN BE HARMFUL
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
THEIR BRAIN IS STILL
DEVELOPING. IT CAN
HAVE PERMANENT
IMPACTS. IS THERE A
WORRY THAT
LEGALIZATION WOULD
CAUSE MORE YOUNG
PEOPLE TO USE
MARIJUANA? I THINK
THAT'S
UNFORTUNATELY A
POSSIBILITY. THAT'S
WHY IT HAS TO BE
REGULATED VERY
CLOSELY. IF WE'RE
GOING TO LEGALIZE IT,
THEN WE ALSO HAVE A
RESPONSIBILITY TO
OUR YOUNG PEOPLE."
IN
IN COLORADO -- C-D-C DATA SHOWED NO NOTICEABLE UPTICK IN
MARIJUANA USE AMONG
YOUNG PEOPLE...
AFTER THE DRUG WAS
LEGALIZED THERE.
HOWEVER, THERE HAVE
BEEN SOME NEGATIVE
IMPACTS.
"OPPONENTS WILL SAY,
LOOK AT WHAT
HAPPENED IN
COLORADO. YOU HAVE
MORE CRASHES
CAUSED BY PEOPLE
UNDER THE INFLUENCE,
MORE BABIES BORN
WITH POT IN THEIR
SYSTEMS, MORE
SYSTEMS, MORE
PEOPLE
PEOPLE TESTING POSITIVE FOR THE DRUG AT THE
EMERGENCY ROOM.
THOSE ARE ALL
UNINTENDED
CONSEQUENCES,
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, RIGHT? HOW WORRIED
ARE YOU ABOUT
UNINTENDED
CONSEQUENCES. WELL
I THINK IN ANY
LEGISLATION THAT YOU
CREATE, YOU'RE
ALWAYS GOING TO
HAVE SOME
UNINTENDED
CONSEQUENCES,
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, BECAUSE ONE, SOME
PEOPLE ARE NOT
GOING TO OBEY THE
LAW NO MATTER WHAT
YOU MAKE IT BE. SO I
THINK THAT WE HAVE
TO TRY TO PREPARE
OURSELVES TO WHAT
THOSE UNINTENDED
THOSE UNINTENDED
CONSEQUENCES MAY BE." AND WHAT ABOUT THE
ARGUMENT THAT WEED
-- IS SINGLED OUT.
THAT THERE'S FAR
WORSE ADULTS "CAN"
USE...
"WE SUPPORT LEGALLY
DRUGS, SUBSTANCES
THAT KILL. NICOTINE.
450-THOUSAND PEOPLE
IN THIS COUNTRY DIE
EVERY YEAR BECAUSE
OF TOBACCO-RELATED
DISEASE. NO REDEMING
QUALITY TO IT? NO.
ALCOHOL. WE ALL LIKE
A DRINK HERE AND
THERE. SOME MORE
THAN OTHERS. BUT 85-
THOUSAND PEOPLE DIE
EITHER TO THE
DISEASE ITSELF --
ALCOHOL, OR RELATED
ACCIDENTS. 85-
THOUSAND PEOPLE. SO
FAR, MARIJUANA HAS
NOT BEEN ASSOCIATED
WITH DEATHS,
BECAUSE YOU CAN'T
OVERDOSE ON IT. IT'S
WITH
WITH DEATHS, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T OVERDOSE ON IT. IT'S
NOT
NOT THAT
NOT THAT TYPE OF DRUG." "HOW DO YOU
RESPOND TO PEOPLE
WHO SAY, ALCOHOL IS
MUCH MORE
DANGEROUS THAN POT.
OR CIGARETTES ARE
MUCH MORE
DANGEROUS THAN
POT? THEY'RE ALL
DANGEROUS. THEY'RE
ALL CHEMICALS THAT
WE'RE PUTTING IN
YOUNG KIDS' BODIES
THAT ARE AFFECTING
THEIR BODY ORGANS,
THAT ARE AFFECTING
THEIR BRAIN. SO I SAY,
THEY'RE ALL
DANGEROUS. I DON'T
WEIGH ONE AGAINST
THE OTHER."
HOWEVER, THE
REALITY REMAINS --
MARIJUANA IS ILLEGAL...
WHILE THE OTHERS
ARE NOT.
NEW YORKERS "DO"
HAVE ACCESS TO
"MEDICAL" CANNABIS...
BUT ONLY IF THEY CAN
AFFORD IT.
SOME SUPPORTERS
SAY -- "RECREATIONAL"
MARIJUANA... WILL HELP
PATIENTS.
"DO YOU AGREE? I
DISAGREE.
RECREATIONAL
DISAGREE. RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA IS GETTING
HIGH. I MEAN, YOU
CAN'T DENY IT. IT'S A
HIGH THC
COMPONENT."
"COULD RECREATIONAL
MARIJUANA, THOUGH,
BE A WAY TO MAKE
ACCESS EASIER TO
PATIENTS WHO NEED IT
FOR
FOR MEDICAL REASONS?" "I HOPE RECREATIONAL
MARIJUANA WILL
SUPPORT AND MAKE
MEDICAL MARIJUANA
MORE USER FRIENDLY."
"MAKE IT EASIER FOR
MY PATIENTS TO OBTAIN
MEDICAL MARIJUANA
UNDER THE
SUPERVISION OF A
PHYSICIAN. AND THAT'S
ALL I WANT. THERE IS
AN OPPORTUNITY TO
MAKE THAT PART OF
THIS? THERE'S AN
OPPORTUNITY,
OPPORTUNITY,
ABSOLUTELY." BACK TO "RECREATIONAL" POT...
WE KNOW PUBLIC
OPINION HAS SHIFTED
DRAMATICALLY... BOTH
IN NEW YORK... AND
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
"THE LATEST PEW POLL
SHOWS 62 PERCENT OF
ADULTS SURVEYED
FAVOR LEGALIZATION."
"IT DOES SEEM LIKE
PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR
MARIJUANA IS ON THE
INCREASE."
"UH HUH. IT IS. IT IS.
LIKE I SAY, I THINK IT'S
INEVITABLE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE LEGALIZED. AS A
CAMPUS, WE WILL
NEVER SUPPORT THAT.
AS A PROFESSIONAL, I'M
NOT GOING TO
SUPPORT THAT,
BECAUSE I'VE SEEN
WHAT IT'S DONE TO
LIVES OF YOUNG
PEOPLE, AND I DON'T
THINK PEOPLE ARE
LOOKING AT THE BIG
PICTURE."
ONE THING EVERYONE
AGREES ON...
IF THIS "IS"
INEVITABLE... THE
FOCUS SHOULD BE ON
"HOW" IT GETS
IMPLEMENTED...
"IF THIS IS GOING TO BE
LEGALIZED, IT HAS TO
BE MONITORED AS IT
HAS BEEN IN OTHER
STATES IN THIS
COUNTRY."
"CAN YOU ASSURE THE
PUBLIC THAT THE
REGULATIONS WILL BE
THERE TO MAKE SURE
YOU LIMIT THOSE
UNINTENDED
CONSEQUENCES? I CAN
ASSURE THE PUBLIC
THAT WE'RE WORKING
VERY HARD TO MAKE
SURE WE DO THAT,
BOTH BECAUSE OF
WHAT WE SEE OTHER
STATES AND
COMMUNITIES HAVE
DONE AND COUNTRIES,
AND BECAUSE WE'RE
LISTENING TO THE
PUBLIC."
"IF IT LOOKS IN THE
NEXT LEGISLATIVE
SESSION LIKE THIS IS
GOING TO HAPPEN,
WILL KED WANT TO BE A
PART OF THE PROCESS
IN PUTTING AS MANY
SAFEGUARDS AS
POSSIBLE, AS
REGULATING THIS AS
MUCH AS POSSIBLE? I
THINK KED IS ALWAYS
GOING TO WANT TO BE
AT THE TABLE."
"NOT IN FAVOR OF IT,
BUT IF THERE ARE
REGULATIONS TO BE
PUT IN PLACE, WE
WANT TO HAVE A
VOICE."
ONE VOICE ... AMONG
MANY.
IN A DEBATE ABOUT TO
HEAT UP...
HEAT UP...
IT'S
IT'S VERY
IT'S VERY STRIKING TO HEAR JODIE ALTMAN... WHO WE KNOW IS
"VERY" OPPOSED TO
LEGALIZATION... SAYING
SHE'S RESIGNED
HERSELF TO THE FACT
THAT IT'S JUST A
MATTER OF "WHEN"...
SHE SAYS JUST LOOK
AT WHAT'S HAPPENED
IN THE U-S... PLUS
ACROSS THE BORDER
IN CANADA...
IN CANADA...
STILL
STILL AHEAD THIS HALF HOUR... WHY TOPS MAY NO LONGER BE A PART
OF
OF THE
OF THE PLANS FOR A REDEVELOPMENT
REDEVELOPMENT