News from Oour Neighbors

Cuomo Announces Series of Listening Sessions on Regulated Marijuana

(August 30, 2018) Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced a series of listening sessions on regulated marijuana will be held across New York State in September and October. The purpose of these sessions is to garner input from community members and key stakeholders on the implementation of a regulated marijuana program in New York State. This input will assist the Regulated Marijuana Workgroup in drafting legislation for an adult-use marijuana program for the legislature to consider in the upcoming session.

Fifteen listening sessions will be conducted across New York State. The listening sessions will begin in early September and be completed by mid-October. Listening sessions, which will be held in the evening and consist of facilitated discussion, will be open to the public, and to accommodate all those planning to attend, pre-registration will be encouraged.

Please see the following list of dates and locations:

Wednesday, September 5 - Albany

Thursday, September 6 - Glens Falls

Monday, September 17 - Bronx

Thursday, September 20 - Manhattan

Monday, September 24 - Queens

Tuesday, September 25 - Brooklyn

Wednesday, September 26 - Staten Island

Thursday, September 27 - Long Island

Monday, October 1 - Newburgh

Tuesday, October 2 - Binghamton

Wednesday, October 3 - Buffalo

Thursday, October 4 - Rochester

Tuesday, October 9 - Syracuse

Wednesday, October 10 - Utica

Thursday, October 11 - Watertown

For more information regarding specific venues and pre-registration visit:

https://www.ny.gov/programs/assessing-regulated-marijuana-new-york

In January, Governor Cuomo commissioned a multi-agency study, led by the Department of Health, to assess the impact of a regulated marijuana program in New York State. The Assessment of the Potential Impact of Regulated Marijuana in New York State was delivered to the Governor in July. The impact assessment examined the health, economic, public safety and criminal justice impact of a regulated marijuana program in New York State and the consequences to New York State of legalization in surrounding states.

The study found that the positive impacts of a regulated marijuana market in New York State outweigh the potential negative impacts, and that areas that may be a cause for concern can be mitigated with regulation and proper use of public education that is tailored to address key populations.

Based on the findings of the study, the Governor announced the creation of a Regulated Marijuana Workgroup to provide advice to the State on legislative and regulatory approaches needed to protect public health, provide consumer protection, ensure public safety, address social justice issues and capture and invest tax revenue. The Workgroup includes subject matter experts from throughout the State and government representatives of public health, mental health, substance use, taxation and finance, law enforcement and public safety.

For more information on Regulated Marijuana, visit: https://www.health.ny.gov/regulations/regulated_marijuana/.

Former UN Ambassador to Speak on Climate Change and Security at Clarkson University

Lance Clark, a former Ambassador of the United Nations with 35 years of experience in international work, is scheduled to speak at Clarkson University on September 12, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Student Center Multi-Purpose Rooms. The talk is titled "Climate Change-A Top National Security Threat."

Clark says most of the talk about climate change, and about the need to curb global warming, doesn't acknowledge the "elephant in the room," the threat to national security. When people talk about climate change, they usually only speak about the environmental, economic, and health aspects. Meanwhile, most of us don't recognize and act on a key part of climate change – the major security threats that climate change is bringing to our country and to our world.

However, the people we entrust with our national security – our military, intelligence, homeland security, and other experts – clearly see these security threats coming from climate change.

We need to recognize and learn more about these threats. And we need to use this information as a powerful tool to drive urgent action to curb climate change. The topic of "Climate Change and National Security" can provide a new and compelling look at climate change, especially for those still on the fence regarding climate change. It can also help us press our political leaders to do the right things to fight climate change for the safety and security of our country," Clark says.

Clark will talk about the various ways that climate change is making our world a more dangerous place by increasing the probability and scale of violent conflicts, and what we can do about it. He will also screen sections of the film "The Age of Consequences."

As a former UN and non-governmental organization official, Clark focused his work on emergency relief in conflicts, forcible displacements, early warning of conflicts, and peace operations and peacebuilding. This includes working in places such as Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Rwanda, Iraq, Chechnya, Georgia (former USSR), Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbia, and other countries. He has served in the United Nations, the Refugee Policy Group, Save the Children, the International Rescue Committee, and the Peace Corps. He has a BA degree in History from Johns Hopkins University and a Masters in Social Psychology from Cornell University. He and his wife Nancy now live in Hague, New York.