Recreational weed has been legal in New York since 2021, but Republicans in the state legislature are already tired of people lighting up on the streets. GOP State Sen. George Borrello and Assemblyman Michael Novakhov are pushing a measure that would allow local governments to place restrictions on marijuana usage in public—in part because Borrello isn’t a fan of the smell. “State residents, including children, are now regularly assailed with the pungent odor of marijuana on public sidewalks, in parking lots and other public spaces,” Borrello said in a statement. “Many New Yorkers don’t want to be exposed to either the effects of marijuana smoke or its smell and don’t want their children subjected to it.” He claims there is “a world of difference” between tobacco and weed consumption, “which is why it is inappropriate to apply the same public usage rules.” “Marijuana has THC, a potent psychoactive drug that causes a ‘high’ and can result in cognitive and motor impairment, similar to alcohol,” Borrello said. “Individuals in this condition, on sidewalks or other public places, represent a potential hazard to themselves or others.”
