However, immigrants must go to extra lengths to ensure that their convictions can be overturned. A conviction can only be overturned if the immigration court reviews each conviction individually. New York`s legalization law allows immigrants to appear in immigration court to overturn those convictions. Federal law states that non-citizens who admit to using marijuana or have been employed in the national legalized cannabis industry may be denied naturalization or change of status because they do not have good moral character. Marijuana has been legal in New York City since March 31, 2021! Now, New York`s new legal marijuana industry will go through a series of regulations that will allow residents to use and wear marijuana for recreational purposes. While the laws are still taking shape, here`s what we can know about cannabis laws in New York to date. Medical cannabis has been legally available to New Yorkers through the state`s medical marijuana program since 2014. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is pushing to end the current ban, while President Joe Biden has advocated for the decriminalization of cannabis by “removing it from the blacklist of prohibited substances,” which will be a step toward legalization. Under federal law, possession and use of cannabis in any form remains illegal. Some FDA-approved prescription drugs contain cannabis products such as CBD or are made with cannabis-related synthetics. The consequences at street level, in addition to the smell of marijuana, are also widespread in the spread of many dedicated businesses, it is impossible to walk around Manhattan for a while without crossing one. A common image is that of someone leaving one of them and stopping at the door to smoke.
In most cases, legal cannabis use can NOT be used against you to: Immigrants applying for residency are not eligible for this benefit if they allow an immigration officer to possess marijuana. The vast majority of people applying for residency are people who do not yet have legal status to live in the United States, so they can already be deported, Mark said. But sometimes people who have legal status apply for a residence permit and are then subject to the same rules. For example, if a DACA or GST beneficiary applies for residency, they could also be denied residency if they admit to possessing marijuana. This spread has a cause: they were the ones who started opening after the legalization announcement and before New York State began issuing licenses for these facilities. If an immigrant has already been convicted of marijuana, the conviction can be expunged from their criminal record, but they must go to immigration court to clear it. To be naturalized as a U.S. citizen, an immigrant must prove that he or she had “good character” for a legal period of five years. A conviction or even arrest for marijuana can result in non-compliance with certain status criteria and denial of citizenship.
OMC is still working on all potential issues in its current bill to allow the use and sale of adult recreational marijuana in licensed establishments and stores. At present, there are no technically open premises/stores for the sale of recreational marijuana in New York City, but there are already great benefits that can be enforced by this law to New York residents, such as the decriminalization of marijuana use. Another option that is not highly recommended is to catch marijuana on the street or in a park. There are usually strategic locations on certain streets where some vendors are placed with a camping table with their grass boat and another boat with grouped joints. Also in some parks, like Washington Square Park. It is still illegal for people under the age of 21 to possess, sell or consume cannabis.