The New York State Bar Association released and approved a report Friday that supports the legalization of adult recreational marijuana use in New York, the bar association said.

The report, created by the bar association’s committee on cannabis law, recommended any law legalizing recreational marijuana include:

· USDA mandated cannabis testing

· A comprehensive state Office of Cannabis Management

· Provisions for local municipality “opt-out”

· Social equity provisions

· State tax

· Advertising and marketing guidelines

· State environmental protections

The report also noted that New York State would benefit from enlisting the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit global policy think tank, or a similar organization to analyze a recreational marijuana legalization policy. The RAND Corporation has been used by other states looking to legalize recreational marijuana, the bar association said.

Last year, a bill legalizing the recreational use of marijuana did not pass in the New York State Legislature.

Currently, New Yorkers can only legally use marijuana if they have a prescription to treat a medical condition.

In 2019, possession of up to two ounces of marijuana was decriminalized and reduced to a violation in New York State.

The report by the New York State Bar Association also endorsed a resolution by the American Bar Association that suggested exempting marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act.

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