The first lady of New York advocated the legalization of marijuana and said that she was addicted to “grass”

New York’s first lady, Chirlein McCray, said that she supported the legalization of marijuana in the state because she didn’t think people should be punished for using it, but warned that cannabis use “should be strictly regulated.”

Photo: New York City Mayor

About how and why her attitude changed to this issue, McCray told the publication Observer.

In 2015, the first lady of New York launched the initiative Thrive nycaimed at improving the mental health of citizens. According to her, working in this organization, she began to take issues of drug dependence more seriously, but the ban on marijuana complicates the lives of those who are already addicted, forcing them to become confined to the problem.

According to McCray, marijuana should be presented as a substance that can be safe for recreational use, but it can also be used incorrectly, especially by young people whose brains are still developing.

She believes that modern marijuana is much more dangerous than that used in the 60-ies, because during its cultivation or processing can be used all sorts of additives. Therefore, people never know what they eat. But if the “grass” is legalized, then it will be checked, the norms of its cultivation and processing will be established, therefore it will be safer for consumers.

In addition to the impact on health, the issue of legalizing marijuana is associated with the problem of the distribution of revenues from its sale, as state budgets receive millions of dollars from this market.

According to McCrae, this money should go to raising the standard of living in disadvantaged parts of the state, as well as to medical services, particularly in the field of mental health.

McCray's position stands in stark contrast to her husband, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who opposes legalizing marijuana in the city, but has supported Gov. Andrew Cuomo's idea of ​​conducting a study on the possible effects of legalizing marijuana in New York State.

But the first lady denies that they have different positions with De Blasio.

“People said I didn't agree with my husband. In fact, I don’t completely disagree with him... Our positions are quite close. I support legalization. He's more cautious, as he should be, because I don't think we have a proper discussion on this issue in the city, it should be much broader," the first lady said.

According to her, her husband, as an elected official, must be more careful and responsible, and he needs to study everything much deeper before making a decision.

McCray stated that she was not putting pressure on her husband in this matter.

The First Lady admitted that she herself smoked marijuana during high school, although she did not do so regularly because she did not have access to “weed” during her teenage years due to limited finances. She also smoked in her 20s and "found herself becoming addicted."

“It was difficult for me to stop. I went to therapy and it was very helpful for me because I didn't want to be an addict. So I can say that I know first-hand that marijuana can be addictive, and I'm not alone in that. But it didn’t lead me to use other substances,” McCray said.

She clarified that some people do have a tendency to addiction, but in each individual case the situation is different, since all the body’s reactions to “grass” are always individual.

In 2017, about 86% of people arrested for possession of marijuana weighing less than two ounces were colored.

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