International
The cannabis business continues its battle with the law in New York
In recent years, cannabis has become one of the hallmarks of the State of New York, where the legalization of this drug led to its massive commercialization and the development of a policy closely related to the social reintegration of disadvantaged groups.
Since March 2021, cannabis use is allowed for adults over 21 years of age, and therefore having a store is also legal, as long as the necessary requirements to obtain a license are met.
The prices – which always include a non-refundable fee of $1,000 – vary depending on the type of license (for example, opening a retail dispensary costs $7,000) and the approval of the permit takes longer than it might seem
Before its legalization, the people who were most affected by having or selling marijuana were black and Hispanic: “(These people) bought and consumed cannabis as much as the white communities, but they were not arrested in the same proportion,” a spokeswoman for the State Cannabis Office (OCM) who prefers not to give her name, explains to EFE.
In this sense, of the 1,485 arrests made in 2020 for possession or sale of cannabis, 898 were to black people, 467 Hispanic, 64 Asian, 49 white and 7 of other ethnic groups, according to official data.
Therefore, the New York State government, through the CAURD program, granted the first 463 provisional retail licenses to entities run by people with previous convictions related to this drug.
“One thing that New York was not going to do was start a billion-dollar industry and not have these people directing it,” says the CMO representative.
In this way, a few years after being arrested for possession of this drug, José Polanco, from the Dominican Republic, fulfilled his dream and opened ‘Polanco Brothers’, a cannabis store located in front of Bryant Park, in the heart of Manhattan.
“For the Hispanic community this store is something important, because we show that we can do great business away from crime,” one of the partners, Pedro Antonio, tells EFE, who receives surrounded by showcases full of gummies, creams, cannabis with cranberry flavor and even tea.
In contrast to the old tobacco shop that he now replaces and that brew together the elites of New York inside – it was often attended by celebrities such as Robert Downey Jr. – Antonio expresses his desire for ‘Polanco Brothers’ to become a place of reference for the popular classes.
The slow licensing process has led many sellers to dodge the law: it is estimated that more than 2,000 premises in the State are illegal, compared to the 180 stores that are regulated by the New York Government.
The clerg of a small store in Manhattan, which does not appear in the catalog of dispensaries published by the government – although she assures that it is fully legal – explains that the place was forced to open without a license due to the delay in processing her permit.
The woman mentions the closure of illegal premises that has been taking place in the city for a few weeks, where the Mayor’s Office of New York began an operation on May 7 to end them: since then a total of 75 have been closed.
In a recent report, the New York Government harshly criticized the ineffectiveness of the Cannabis Office and pointed out that, in April, more than 1,200 people who applied for a license in November were still waiting to be examined.
Cannabis has strongly adhered to the culture of the city and is already part of the daily life of New Yorkers, who are usually seen with a butt between their fingers it rains, thunders or shines, and whether during the day, at night or first thing in the morning.
Its consumption is so widespread that the same mayor of New York, asked one day about the persistent smell of garbage in the summer months, denied it and said: “The first thing I smell right now is marijuana. It seems like everyone is smoking a joint,” and he laughed.
International
Trump signs order to end federal funding for NPR and PBS
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to halt federal funding for two public media outlets, PBS television and NPR radio, accusing them of being biased.
NPR and PBS are partially funded by American taxpayers but rely heavily on private donations.
Trump has long maintained a hostile relationship with most media outlets, which he has referred to as the “enemy of the people.”
An exception is the conservative Fox News channel, some of whose hosts have played important roles in the administration of the Republican magnate.
“National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) receive taxpayer funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB),” Trump said.
“Therefore, I direct the CPB board and all executive departments and agencies to cease federal funding for NPR and PBS,” he added.
The Republican leader argued that “neither of these entities provides a fair, accurate, or impartial portrayal of current events to the taxpayer citizens.”
At the end of March, Donald Trump called on Congress to end public funding for these two “horrible and completely biased networks.”
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
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