Black New Yorkers are nearly 10 times as likely as white New Yorkers to be arrested for marijuana possession within the five boroughs, and some degree of racial disparity extends to the farthest corners of the state, according to a report from the New York Civil Liberties Union.

The report, which analyzed federal crime reporting data from 2010, revealed that black people are 4.5 times more likely than white people to be arrested for marijuana possession statewide and at least twice as likely to be arrested in 52 out of 62 counties.

NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman said the evidence of discrimination is especially damning in light of the fact that whites make up a larger percentage of the state’s population.

“It’s been well-documented that white people use and smoke marijuana far more than black people do,” she said.

Additionally, she said, police often categorize Hispanic people as white, meaning that the numbers are probably inflated and the gap even wider than it appears.

Follow Emily Johnson on Twitter @emilyjreports

The post Glaring racial disparities evident across NYS in marijuana arrests: report appeared first on Metro.us.

A Mercedes-driving, horse-riding suburban mother has been arrested on charges of running a sophisticated marijuana business out of a New York City warehouse, U.S. authorities said.

Andrea Sanderlin, 45, of the tony bedroom community of Scarsdale, N.Y., was accused of conspiring to grow and distribute more than 1,000 marijuana plants from a warehouse in the borough of Queens, according to a criminal complaint released late Tuesday.

Acting on a tip from an informant who identified Sanderlin as “Andi,” U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents trailed the suspect for a week as she commuted from her suburban home to the warehouse in her Mercedes SUV, before arresting her on May 20, according to court papers filed in New York federal court.

The warehouse, operating under the business name Fantastic Enterprises, had “state-of-the-art lighting, irrigation and ventilation systems,” the complaint said, adding that more than 1,000 plants and “large quantities” of dried marijuana were found.

Before the raid, power company Consolidated Edison told agents the warehouse had been consuming “an unusually high amount of electricity,” according to the complaint, and always paid the bills, which ran about $9,000 a month, in cash.

Media reports have dubbed the case a real-life “Weeds,” the cable television show starring Mary-Louise Parker as a drug-dealing soccer mom, and ran pictures of Sanderlin astride horses.

Sanderlin was being held without bail in a Brooklyn jail.

Her lawyer, Joel Winograd, told local media that his client was a respected mother of two young children, was active in the equestrian community and had never run afoul of the law. He was not immediately available for comment.

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A School Safety Agent was arrested this weekend for possession of a weapon and drug possession, according to police reports.

Cops said 56-year-old Christine Drayton was arrested at her home in Fort Greene.

According to the criminal complaint, officers found crack, cocaine and marijuana in two nightstands in Drayton’s bedroom. Drayton was arrested with a man named David Turner, whom she was living with, cops said.

Officers also discovered, in a hall closet, a loaded gun with the serial number scratched off, as well as approximately 60 rounds of live ammunition.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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There is no evidence that actress Amanda Bynes was sexually harassed by cops when she was arrested for throwing a bong out of her apartment window last week, police said on Monday.

“Internal Affairs investigators have found no evidence to corroborate Ms. Bynes’ allegations,” NYPD spokesman Paul Browne told The New York Post. “To the contrary, a credible civilian witness who was with the officers throughout told investigators that none touched Ms. Bynes inappropriately or otherwise engaged in misconduct at any time.”

The 27-year-old former child star still plans to sue the NYPD.

Metro’s original story is below.

Amanda Bynes is continuing to protest allegations that she threw a bong out of her window when confronted by uniformed officers on Thursday, and insists that she is suing the NYPD for alleged sexual harassment.

According to the criminal complaint, officers asked her about a bong on her kitchen counter, and arrested her after she threw it out of a window. She was taken for a psychiatric evaluation before being processed at a nearby precinct and charged with reckless endangerment, criminal possession of marijuana, and tampering with evidence.

After initially taking to Twitter to accuse an arresting officer of sexually assaulting her the night before her arrest, Bynes tweeted yesterday that she was sexually assaulted during the arrest, after the cops “found nothing.”

Bynes has previously said the object cops referred to was a vase, and that she opened a window for fresh air.

In a long tweet yesterday, she said she and her lawyer are suing the NYPD, and advised the public to “never trust or listen to a word any person from my family says to the press.”

“My parents are almost 70 years old,” Bynes tweeted. “I would rather them be homeless than live off of my money.”

Today, in what will supposedly be her penultimate tweet on the matter, Bynes again said she is suing the NYPD for various things related to the arrest, including bringing her to a mental hospital and locking her up overnight “for coming home after a facial and working out with my trainer like the good girl that I am.”

She concluded by encouraging the public to anticipate another nose job and her impending career “as a singer/rapper!”

“I’m free forever!” she tweeted.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

The post (UPDATED) NYPD: Amanda Bynes was not harassed appeared first on Metro.us.

UPDATE: In a series of exclamation mark-ridden tweets this weekend, Amanda Bynes vehemently denied allegations involving her arrest following an incident during which police say the former child star threw a bong out of her window.

Bynes initially denied ever drinking or doing drugs, and tweeted that seeing her mugshot caused her to realize she needs a second nose job, as well as “Nicki Minaj’s wig person stat!”

I only smoke tobacco I don’t drink or do drugs. I’ve never had a bong in my life! I need to get another nose job after seeing my mugshot! :D

— Amanda Bynes (@AmandaBynes) May 24, 2013

I need Nicki Minaj’s wig person stat! :P

— Amanda Bynes (@AmandaBynes) May 25, 2013

In a long tweet, Bynes referred to her arresting officers as “creepy” and said one of the arresting officers sexually harassed her the night before. “He slapped my vagina,” she tweeted.

Bynes later slammed an E! Online story as false, insisting that the alleged bong was in fact a vase, and tweeting “E isn’t run by beauty queens like me!”

Metro’s original story is below.

Actress Amanda Bynes was arrested inside her Manhattan apartment Thursday night after police observed her throwing a bong out of her window.

Police were called to the scene when the building’s superintendent called cops and reported that Bynes was “rolling a marijuana cigarette” in the lobby of the West 47th Street building. The super told cops that Bynes lit the joint in the lobby.

When cops arrived at Bynes’ apartment, the smell of pot was emanating from Bynes’ apartment, the criminal complaint said, and the when Bynes opened the door, the uniformed officer noticed the bong on her kitchen counter.

When the cop asked Bynes about the bong, she reportedly ran and threw it out of her 36th floor window, the complaint reads. It did not hit anyone.

In the criminal complaint, the arresting officer noted that there were “numerous pedestrians” walking along the streets below the window, on 8th Avenue and West 47th Street. The complaint also noted that police did not recover the bong or anything else from either sidewalk.

The 27-year-old former Nickelodeon star was taken to Roosevelt Hospital for psychiatric evaluation before being taken to the Midtown North Precinct House to be processed. She faces charges of tampering with evidence, marijuana possession and reckless endangerment.

Bynes was also arrested last year for DUI and is currently under probation for driving with a suspended license. She has been under the tabloid spotlight in recent months for posting bizarre pictures of herself on Twitter.

The post (UPDATED) Amanda Bynes accuses cops of sexual harrassment appeared first on Metro.us.

Jets running back Mike Goodson was arrested early Friday morning on Route 80 West in Denville, N.J. for possession of a loaded handgun and marijuana.

Around 3 a.m. on Friday morning, a tow-truck driver pulled along a grey Yukon driven by Garant Evans of Roselle, N.J. in which Goodson was the passenger. The vehicle had stopped in the left-center lane of the four-way highway, located roughly 20 minutes from the Jets’ facility. Evans was was charged with driving under the influence. Goodson was taken for evaluation to nearby St. Clare’s Hospital.

A handgun was found in the vehicle after the police did a search.

Goodson was released from his cell at Morris County Jail around 6 p.m. on Friday evening and after he posted $50,000 bail. The delay had nothing to do with Goodson being held for medical reasons and was merely due to him waiting for the bail to be posted.

The state police found a “small amount of marijuana” on Goodson’s body, per the police statement on the incident. Evans was taken to the local state police barracks in Netcong, N.J. and was processed. His bail was set at $150,000.

According the police release, both Evans and Goodson were charged with possession of marijuana (under 50 grams), possession of drug paraphernalia, unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a loaded handgun and possession of hollow-point ammunition.

Follow Jets beat writer Kristian Dyer on Twitter @KristianRDyer.

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Whether you’re tailgating before the show or rocking out inside the venue, summer concerts are a ready-made soundtrack that is just awaiting your participation to build memories. Here are the biggest and best bets for your concert dollar.

Hot 97 Summer Jam
While we usually use this space to lightly make fun of a concert bill, there’s just so many great acts on here that we need to use all of the space to tell you who’s playing: Wu-Tang Clan, Chris Brown, Kendrick Lamar, 2 Chainz, Miguel, Wale, Fabolous, A$AP Rocky, French Monatana and Joe Budden!
June 2, MetLife Stadium

Paul McCartney
Ellen DeGeneres once introduced Sir Paul at the Grammys by saying, “The next performer needs no introduction.” True to her word, she left the stage and let it be for one of the last living Beatles. We’d like to do the newspaper equivalent.
June 8 and 10, Barclays Center

One Direction
If seeing the New Kids/98 Degrees/Boyz II Men show bummed you out, go see a boy band that includes actual boys.
June 28 and 29, Nikon at Jones Beach

Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars has turned his “Unorthodox Jukebox” into a 1980s time machine, which works out just fine for his opening act, Fitz and the Tantrums, who have also set the dial for the 1980s with their brand new “More Than Just a Dream.” Wear your neon jams and join them.
June 29, Barclays Center

Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z: 20/20 World Tour
Arguably the biggest tour of the summer, it remains to be seen how Jay-Z and JT will split the stage on The 20/20 World Tour. We can only hope that there are 20 songs from each artist, rather than a staged recreation of the best moments of ABC’s most popular investigative journalism TV show. That said, it would be awesome if they did that for the first few shows and then switched it up by the time they got here.
July 19 and 20, Yankee Stadium

Americanarama Festival of Music
For a genre that takes itself a little too seriously when at its worst, these three giants of Americana prove that a sense of humor is necessary to separate the wheat from the chaff. By calling their tour Americanarama, Bob Dylan, Wilco and My Morning Jacket are having a good ole time.
July 27, Nikon at Jones Beach

Justin Bieber
Who would have thought at this time last year that the Justin Bieber tour would become the equivalent of the Rolling Stones’ 1972 tour in terms of rumored debauchery? We can only hope he’s still around for his own 50 and Counting tour in 2060.
Aug. 2, Barclays Center

Beyonce
Beyonce was going to release a new album this year. Remember that? Seems like she might not have remembered either, as Mrs. Carter sets out on the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour before her new songs have even hit the market. It’s kind of like when it’s the end of the school year, and absolutely all of your friends are psyched to be done with exams, but you’ve still got one left that you totally forgot to study for. But in this case, Beyonce can just say, “I’m Beyonce, I don’t have to take the final.”
Aug. 3, 4, 5, Barclays Center

Under the Influence of Music Tour
Wiz Khalifa, A$AP Rocky, B.o.B. and Trinidad James are a stellar lineup, but we have to wonder: Now that marijuana is pretty much totally legal, when are musicians going to stop giving their tours titles with little winking references to weed?
Aug. 6, Nikon at Jones Beach

Kenny Chesney
One thing that has not changed in America for the past 100 years: Cowboys are still really good at herding large groups of mammals into confined open-air structures. Eric Church, Eli Young Band and Kacey Musgraves round out this rootin’-tootin’ bill.
Aug. 10, MetLife Stadium

The post Summer Music Preview: Hottest tickets for summer concerts appeared first on Metro.us.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

The post Some of America’s favorite stoners appeared first on Metro.us.

* All views expressed here are those of Dr. Craig Blinderman and do not reflect the views of New York Presbyterian Hospital. 

Dr. Craig Blinderman, a palliative care specialist at New York Presbyterian Hospital, is one of the New York physicians intrigued by the potential medical marijuana holds for treating pain.

“What we’re trying to do is restore some functioning, whether it’s physical or mental or whatever,” Blinderman said. There’s actually a lot of research that suggests that it has benefits in patients with chronic pain, no appetite, nausea.”

Despite an “exponential increase in research,” however, Blinderman said we’re “just barely scratching the surface of this very complex network” of “cannabinoid receptors” all over our bodies, from our brains to our immune systems.

He insisted that there’s no reason why something so ubiquitous in our bodies shouldn’t be allowed for medical use. 

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  Some of America’s favorite stoners

“The problem is it’s associated with a huge stigma in our society, it’s remarkable just how much stigma is associated with it,” Blinderman said.

He emphasized that THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive component in marijuana), is “not the only cannabinoid that exists.”

“Marijuana, the cannabis plant, contains a number of chemicals [and] can have dozens of different types of cannabinoids,” Blinderman explained. “There are some growers in California that are trying to actually tailor their plants so they can actually have different concentrations, like 20 percent THC or 10 percent cannabinol” (a non-psychoactive component).

These attempts are especially promising for making marijuana a truly effective medication.

“Let’s say the law‘s passed and I prescribe to a patient with severe nausea and pain, and the patient ends up feeling lethargic and spaced out and so forth,” Blinderman said. “I might seek out a different strain that has lower psychoactive qualities.”

Blinderman said there is already evidence suggesting that small doses of cannabis can have an “opioid sparing effect,” meaning one of the possible benefits of medical marijuana could be lessening a person’s need for opioids.

Opioids are very strong pain medications like oxycodone, morphine, and methadone. They are often used for cancer-related pain, and high doses can pose a lot of negative side effects. Cannabis, Blinderman said, may even affect the duration of pain relief and minimize withdrawal symptoms, which would not only decrease how much opioid a patient needs to take, but also how often it needs to be taken.

Blinderman rejects the reasoning that legalizing marijuana is dangerous because some people may use it for reasons other than pain management, pointing out that’s fairly common with prescription drugs already.

“People use ketamine recreationally, for example,” Blinderman explained. “It’s a powerful anesthetic, it’s used all the time, it’s great for pain.”

“Just the fact that people use it and go to dance parties, doesn’t mean I can’t prescribe it to someone with chronic pain, or depression for that matter,” Blinderman added.

Blinderman said he’s heard of studies showing that some elements in cannabis could have the ability to actually stop cancer from growing or spreading, by blocking key enzymes used in angiogenesis: blocking the enzymes prevents tumors from drawing in blood and growing.

“As far as I’m concerned, I don’t think we’ve seen higher incidences of lung cancer” in patients using smokable marijuana to cope with chemotherapy. In fact, a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found no association between smoking marijuana and negative effects on lung functioning.

Ultimately, Blinderman is hopeful about the New York legislation, though expressed dismay at Senator Diane Savino’s rejection of “chronic pain” as a possible use for the substance. Savino said the term is too vague; the legislation instead lists specific illnesses, such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, and epilepsy.

“It should include all types of chronic pain, I think,” Blinderman said. “That’s too bad.”

But he said he understood Savino’s inclination to narrowly restrictive legislation, and called the California legislation “kind of a farce.”

“Anybody can get a prescription for it, for any kind of ailment,” Blinderman said. “It makes a joke out of it being medicinal.”

If medical marijuana were legal in New York state, Blinderman said he would consider recommending it for patients with pain, nausea, appetite problems, and patients having a rough time with chemo.

“Hopefully with more states passing it, there will be more opportunities for research to be done, and clinical testing,” Blinderman said. “Drugs with less evidence have been approved.”

Medical marijuana: the political

Medical marijuana: the personal

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

The post Medical marijuana: a NY doctor’s perspective appeared first on Metro.us.

New York State Senator Diane Savino had been a co-sponsor of the New York state medical marijuana bill since she first joined the Senate, and credits her interest in the cause to the “thousands and thousands of New Yorkers who suffer from chronic, debilitating conditions like multiple-sclerosis, epilepsy, diabetes, and cancer.”

“Unfortunately for them, the options that are available to them are high addictive, very deadly narcotics—oxycodone, vicodin, ativan,” she listed. “[These drugs are] a lot more damaging to you than marijuana but because of the laws in New York state, they can’t sit down with their doctor and come up with the best treatment plan for them.”

Savino said the New York bill would be the most regulated marijuana statute in the country.

“California is the worst model, there it’s like the Wild West, literally,” she said. “There’s almost no regulation, there’s almost no discernment on the part of medical professionals [about] who should and shouldn’t have marijuana.”

“It’s exactly the opposite of what we want in New York,” she added.

The way Savino describes it, legalizing marijuana could even be a profitable endeavor for the state.

“We want to license it, we want to tax it, we want to derive a significant amount of revenue from it,” she said.

Savino said there would be a licensing fee imposed upon growers and dispensers, and an excise tax that has yet to be determined.

As for whether medical marijuana will be available to veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a potential use floated by advocacy group the New York Cannabis Alliance, Savino said she’s “not sure.”

“I don’t believe we’re listing that,” she said. “Unfortunately, unlike other drugs, which are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, marijuana is still going to be considered illegal by the federal government, so we have to list specific conditions.”

Savino said that public opinion is a factor in how restrictive the criteria in the bill is.

“Unfortunately the public is a little leery about what this substance could be used for, so we have to proceed a little bit carefully,” she explained.

But the senator said she knows this legislation is vitally important to many New Yorkers.

Savino said she gets letters and phone calls not just from her own constituents, but from “people all over the state who have been living in pain, and if they just lived across one of the three bridges that connect us to New Jersey, they would have that option [to use medical marijuana].”

“Unfortunately, some people aren’t going to live long enough to avail themselves of this options, but for those people that are, we have to move,” Savino said.

The senator hopes to have a vote on the bill before the end of the legislative session.

Medical marijuana: the personal

Medical marijuana: a doctor’s perspective

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

The post Medical marijuana: the political appeared first on Metro.us.

Cops busted a pot operation in Queens yesterday. 

According to police, NYPD officers found an extensive weed-growing operation in a building on 44th Road in Hunter’s Point.

Police officers found marijuana plants, lamps and growing apartment, the NYPD reported.

Cops released a photo of an officer near what appear to be rows of plants.

The post Cops bust pot-growing operation in Queens appeared first on Metro.us.

More than 400,000 people were arrested for marijuana possession in New York City during the last decade, according to a new report.

And cops spent about 1 million hours of their time arresting 440,000 people for pot, adds the report, released today by the Drug Policy Alliance.

“Police have squandered 1 million hours to make racially biased, costly and unlawful marijuana possession arrests,” Drug Policy Alliance state director Gabriel Sayegh said. “This is scandalous.”

The group has been one of several to criticize the NYPD for booking New Yorkers found with pot in their pocket. Advocates say many arrests result from NYPD officers stopping and searching New Yorkers, not people smoking on sidewalks.

In 2011, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly sent a memo telling officers not to arrest people for having small amounts of marijuana that was not in public view.

This week, state legislators are reportedly considering a proposal by Gov. Andrew Cuomo that would make the penalty for having a small amount of marijuana in public view a violation instead of a misdemeanor.

According to the report, the amount of cops’ time used for a pot arrest varied from two hours to five hours, sometimes longer.

After an arrest, police must bring back the handcuffed person, book them, take photographs and fingerprints and write a report. They also check the person’s data against criminal databases, researchers said.

Researchers noted that this calculation does not include time from officials like corrections, court or prosecution staff.

About 70 percent of people arrested for marijuana are younger than 30, according to the report.

And more than 85 percent are black and Latino, researchers said.

“We cannot afford to continue arresting tens of thousands of youth every year for low-level marijuana possession,” said Alfredo Carrasquillo, an organizer with VOCAL-NY.

Carrasquillo told Metro about spending two days in jail after Harlem cops pulled him aside and found a bag of marijuana.

Follow Alison Bowen on Twitter @reporteralison

The post Police spent 1 million hours arresting people for pot: Report appeared first on Metro.us.

A state assemblyman was arrested Thursday for alleged marijuana possession, police said.

According to New York State Police, cops arrested Stephen Katz, 59, a Republican who represents areas including Westchester, for possession of marijuana.

Katz was stopped for speeding, police said, after driving 80 miles per hour on I-87, 15 miles above the speed limit.

Officials said Katz was arrested in Coeymans, N.Y.

An officer noticed an odor of marijuana, according to state police, and subsequently found a small bag of marijuana.

Katz was released with a ticket to appear in court later this month.

“I am confident that once the facts are presented that this will quickly be put to rest,” Katz said in a statement, according to the New York Post.

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Norwegian Customs officials would not confirm Snoop’s identity, but did say an “American artist” was busted by a drug-sniffing dog for trying to enter the country with marijuana.

According to the New York Post, that “American artist” was Snoop, and he was also carrying more cash than was legally permitted. Because of that violation, he was fined about $8,600. He was briefly detained during the incident.

Snoop Dogg, who has a checkered past with drug possession charges, was likely on his way to a scheduled performance in the Norwegian town of Kristiansand.

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As ABC reports, Martin’s blood and urine tested positive for THC, the active chemical in marijuana. The autopsy also revealed that Martin had a quarter-inch by half-inch abrasion on a finger, which may have been caused by a struggle. He was shot from a distance of between one and 18 inches away.

Zimmerman, who is charged with murder, has maintained that he shot Martin in self-defense during a scuffle with the teen. Photos taken on February 26, the night of Martin’s death, show bleeding abrasions to the back of Zimmerman’s head, which he claimed was slammed on the ground by Martin. Other reports have revealed that Zimmerman suffered a fractured nose and two black eye the night Martin was shot.

The autopsy report with Martin’s drug test results came to light as prosecutors prepare to make public new evidence, including videos and photos from the crime scene.

Zimmerman told police he called 911 to report his suspicion about the teen after he spotted him in the gated community where Martin’s father’s girlfriend lived. He followed Martin, despite the 911 operator’s urging him not to, and told police he shot the teen during a struggle. He has been released from jail on a $150,000 bond.

The post Autopsy: Trayvon Martin had THC in his system the night he was shot appeared first on Metro.us.

“The world needs to discuss new approaches,” Santos says. “We are basically still thinking within the same framework as we have done for the last 40 years.”

Colombia’s war on drug cartels has made huge progress over the past 20 years. The killing of notorious drug baron Pablo Escobar in 1993 and then the arrest and conviction in 2006 of the Rodriguez Orejuela brothers, founders of the Cali Cartel, did much to dismantle the powerful cartels and spark the decline of drug-related violence that had plagued the country. Santos hopes that the world too can build on this success story.

Colombian leader: Legalize marijuana

Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos on his country’s efforts in the war on drugs.  Santos opens up on drug legalization as a means to stop violence.  Says legalize soft drugs, but only if entire world agrees.

Do you think legalizing softer drugs could be a way forward?

Yes, that could be an answer, provided everyone does it at the same time.

Is that something you would support?

If the entire world does it, yes.

But somebody has to take the first steps?

Yes, and it won’t be me.

Why?

Because for Colombia, this is a matter of national security. Drug trafficking is what finances the violence and the irregular groups in our country. I would be crucified if I took the first step. We need to insist on more multinational actions on drug trafficking and innovate the ways we are dealing with it.

How is this different in other countries?

In other countries [Europe and the U.S.] this is mainly a health and crime issue. We need to look at all components, one of them being targeting the assets in this business. But we need to do so on a global level.

What do you think we’re doing wrong?

We must discuss a new approach, looking at all the components: The profit and the crime that follows drug trafficking, the fight against money laundering, trade with arms and so on. These are all effects of drugs.

What about Latin America?

We have something that the U.S. and Europe don’t have: A young population and a lot of optimism. When you ask the population of a country, ‘Will your children have a better life than you?’ and a majority answers ‘No,’ then the enthusiasm of that country is limited. The latest poll in Colombia from Thursday [last week] shows that 79 percent of our population believes that we are on a great path.

The post Cooperation needed for drug war? appeared first on Metro.us.

Christie announced Tuesday that New Jersey will begin dispensing medical marijuana, lifting a yearlong suspension.

Nonprofit groups are cleared to sell pot to patients; but before an ounce was sold, Christie wanted assurance that federal officials would not prosecute New Jersey dispensaries.

State Sen. Diane Savino wrote a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo Wednesday, talking about her parents, who died of cancer and in great pain, according to Savino. The time has come for New York to show compassion like New Jersey, she said.

“As someone who has lost both parents to cancer,” Savino wrote, “I know firsthand what it is like to see a loved one in pain and not be able to do anything about it.”

She is a co-sponsoring a bill that would allow seriously ill New Yorkers to buy 2.5 ounces of pot at a time.

“It’s just ridiculous that New York doesn’t have a medical marijuana law at this point,” said Gabriel Sayegh, state director for the Drug Policy Alliance.

He added that it was “very strange” for Christie, a Republican, to be “the progressive voice on this issue in the Tri-State region.”

Cuomo criticized legalizing pot while campaigning, but said Thursday he was “reviewing the issue” — although he added his position had “not changed.”

Follow Alison Bowen on Twitter @AlisonatMetro

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As a new parent, your only barometer of right and wrong is a screaming infant. How do I know if I am doing the right thing? How do I know if I’m hurting her, if she is hungry, tired, dirty? My role as “mom” continuously evolves, and with each passing day I grow more confident and more in love with my baby.

Perhaps the most important lesson I have learned is to let go. The stress of parenting can be all-consuming. Trying to seek out patterns, trying to establish routines, to answer the never-ending list of questions, desperate to eke out order — these things are futile. My goal every day is to enjoy each moment and to appreciate every hour with my child. But how?

Over the years, marijuana has proven a useful tool for me. In the past, weed has served to calm me down — to unwind me so that I am able to enjoy my life. I have always been attracted to high-stress jobs and have performed very well in that capacity; little did I know that parenting would be the highest-stress, most-demanding job yet. In the moments when I am ready to lose my mind — when the baby has been crying nonstop, for example — I take a little puff and my patience and calm is restored. My new state of mind enables me to not only tap into my unfound stores of patience but also lets me to relate to my baby as a baby and not a screaming, pooping monster.

My husband, a doctor, also smokes frequently. (Neither of us do it in front of the baby and we never will — and I feel OK about breastfeeding. From what we’ve read, the tests conducted have indicated little or no transference of cannabinoids.) The benefit outweighs the stigma.

Going to the park with my growing baby becomes an adventure for both of us. I am able to appreciate my baby’s perspective of the world and perceive things as if I, too, were experiencing them for the first time. The small things that seem so trivial to us as “grown-ups” are just as exciting to me as they are to my baby — once I’ve had a puff.

I’m not saying that marijuana is right for everyone. But it does help me.

Metro does not endorse the opinions of the author, or any opinions expressed on its pages. Opposing viewpoints are welcome. Please send 300-word submissions to letters@metro.us.

The post ‘Smoking pot makes me a better mother’ appeared first on Metro.us.

»On this day in 1689, the former King James II began the Siege of Derry. Celebrate this by inflaming local religious tensions!

»On this day in 1810, the governor of Caracas declared independence from Spain. Celebrate this by whipping up a delicious plate of Pabellón criollo and refusing to share with anyone from Spain!

»On this day in 1836, Congress created the Wisconsin Territory. Celebrate this by wearing a badger headdress, the traditional headgear of all Wisconsinites!

»On this day in 1862, Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard create the first pasteurization tests. Celebrate this by chugging a gallon of milk and then bragging about how healthy you are!

»On this day in 1916, the Chicago Cubs played their first game at what would later become Wrigley Field. Celebrate this by watching all 13 episodes of the 1997 Jason Bateman sitcom "Chicago Brothers," which was set in an apartment overlooking the field!

»On this day in 1920, Supreme Court justice John Paul Stevens was born. Celebrate this by wearing your finest bow tie and writing a dissenting opinion of the issue of applying contemporary community standards to the Internet!

»On this day in 1939, Billie Holliday recorded "Strange Fruit," the first Civil Rights anthem. Celebrate this by playing the song very loud in your office and explaining to everyone you’re celebrating a "Billie Holiday"!

»On this day in 1961, the Bay of Pigs Invasion failed. Celebrate this by finding a Kennedy, and embarrassing them!

»On this day in 1972, Apollo 16 landed on the moon. Celebrate this by doing something that was groundbreaking three years ago!

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The ring was reportedly the largest indoor operation ever found in the New York area, supplying marijuana to customers up and down the eastern seaboard.

Along with Drug Enforcement Agency officers, NYPD officers found the one-pound plants in Sullivan County after pulling over a car and searching it when it smelled like weed.

Finding marijuana, they then searched seven houses, finding a marijuana ring that sold the pot in New York City and Philadelphia.

The 16 suspects were expected to be arraigned today in White Plains Federal Court.

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The community organizer had a pocketful of weed for after his kids went to bed — but he didn’t make it home.

Booked for possession when Harlem cops pulled him aside, he spent the next two days in jail.

“I was honest and said I had a bag of weed on me,” Carrasquillo told Metro. Following the arrest, he said, “I pretty much try my best to dress professionally — and walk fast.”

Carrasquillo was one of 50,300 New Yorkers arrested last year for marijuana possession, according to a Drug Policy Alliance report released yesterday.

At a press conference, Council members said cops should find something better to do than bust 20-somethings.

Nearly 70 percent arrested are under 30, and 87 percent are black or Hispanic, the group reported.

Total for taking in tokers? The city spent $75 million last year, the Alliance calculated.
Brooklyn Councilman Jumaane Williams said cops stop people who look suspicious, finding pocketed pot in “bogus arrests.”

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly defended the arrests, responding to the report at a Council budget hearing to argue that the money spent on arrests keeps the city safe.

Follow Alison Bowen on Twitter at @AlisonatMetro.

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Still, Canna Cola joins such non-THC drinks as Drank, Malava Novocaine, Unwind, Mary Jane’s Relaxing Soda and Slow Cow as herbal products to help people relax. According to a  CNN.com report, Matt Moody,  the appropriately named founder of Mary Jane’s Relaxing Soda,  sees his product as an anti-stress aid and an alternative to booze.

“You can’t walk around smelling like vodka all day. I wanted to try to make something you can have to mellow you out. It’s not going to make you stumble, fall down and slur your speech. It’s a quick fix to slow things down when things get hectic,” Moody was quoted as saying in the CNN article.

Safety questions arise: How much will people consume??Does dressing drugs up as a soda drink attract children? Will people Drank and drive? Masking a stressful lifestyle or personal problem with a mood-altering substance doesn’t address underlying causes of being wound-up or unhappy. Still, an antidote to the raging Red Bull mentality can’t be all bad, can it?

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