In New York State, most municipalities ban the use of alcohol on public streets or outside of venues that specifically allow it. Yet the state’s relatively new marijuana law doesn’t let local governments impose the same restrictions on public consumption of THC, the psychoactive component in marijuana.
New York State Sen. George Borrello wants to change that with legislation that would prohibit public use of marijuana in all forms “unless specifically authorized by the locality.”
He calls it a public safety issue, but it’s not about the dangers of second-hand smoke.
“I’m trying to enact an open container law for marijuana,” Borrello said. “Not just to ban smoking it, but vaping, edibles, anything in public places.”
Borrello, R-Jamestown, introduced Senate Bill 7604 last week and it is co-sponsored in the state Assembly by Michael Novakhov, R-Brooklyn. The bill would impose a $125 fine for consuming marijuana in public and allow municipalities to both enforce a state law and impose their own laws regarding public use of marijuana.
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