Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will be headlining this year's NYC Cannabis Parade & Rally on May 1.
The event will take place in Union Square Park. It will be preceded by the parade at 11 am.
"We're extremely excited about this," says event organizer Troy Smit. "Senator Schumer is our senator and is a big supporter of cannabis law reform."
New York legalized marijuana on March 31.
Sen. Schumer is leading the federal effort in Congress. Along with Senators Booker and Wyden, he's writing legislation that would end cannabis prohibition.
Schumer will be joined on stage in Union Square from 12-2:30 pm by State Senators Alessandra Biaggi, Brian Benjamin and Jessica Ramos; Assembly members Harvey Epstein and Emily Gallagher; and numerous local advocates.
A Zoom event will take place on May 2.
Schumer recently told Politico:
"In 2018, I was the first member of the Democratic leadership to come out in support of ending the federal prohibition. I'm sure you ask, 'Well what changed?' Well, my thinking evolved. When a few of the early states — Oregon and Colorado — wanted to legalize, all the opponents talked about the parade of horribles: Crime would go up. Drug use would go up. Everything bad would happen.
"The legalization of states worked out remarkably well. They were a great success. The parade of horribles never came about, and people got more freedom. And people in those states seem very happy.
"I think the American people started speaking with a clear message — more than two to one — that they want the law changed. When a state like South Dakota votes by referendum to legalize, you know something is out there."
For more info about the May 1-2 events, go here.
