The Marijuana Reform Party of New York (MRP) was established in 1997 to provide a vehicle for political action for New Yorkers who support medical marijuana and for those who want to end the criminal prohibition of marijuana. While citizens in many states are conducting successful ballot initiatives to bring about change, the constitution of New York State does not permit that form of democracy.
What we stand for Marijuana Legalization in NY:
- Reschedule marijuana so that physicians may prescribe it to patients who need it.
It is cruel and inhuman for the government to deny medicine to the sick out of fear that “it sends the wrong message.”
- Eliminate civil and criminal penalties for possession and personal use of small quantities of marijuana by an adult in the privacy of their home.
Adults who choose to use marijuana in the privacy of their home should be allowed to do so without fear of losing their job, custody of children, college aid, housing, or otherwise jeopardizing their welfare.
- Repeal the Rockefeller drug laws.
Any new laws should not have mandatory minimum sentencing.
- Allow farmers to grow industrial hemp and allow private cultivation of marijuana by patients and casual users.
This would help save small family farms in New York, reduce the price that domestic manufacturers pay for industrial hemp, revitalize the upstate economy, and preserve valuable farmland for the future. It will also provide medicinal users with a safe supply and help stifle the black market, making it harder for children to obtain marijuana.