Thank you for sharing! I agreed that as this greenwave (the growing legalization and decriminalization) of cannabis continues, we will continue to see both controversy and the need for continued regulation. NYC might be *a* testing ground for cannabis decriminalizaton in terms of major cities in the Western world, but it is not *the* only major testing ground. The key discernment here is that cannabis is not yet legal or legally distributed recreationally in NYC; rather it is decriminalized.

Cities like Denver, CO and states like California have legalized cannabis, so that it is regulated further. This has its own downsides (high taxes for consumers), but also its upsides, such as consumers having access to products that are clearly dosed and tested for quality control. Let us hope that we are continuing to see not only decriminalization, but also legalization, which will entail the suggestions you included (and make cannabis purchasing legal only for people 21 years of age and older).

Yes, there is still a lot of work to do, but I do think this is an exciting sign, particularly as so many of us are in need of substances that can help us outside of the pharmaceutical model. (Dosage and set and setting are important, and habitual use should be avoided until one's brain is more fully developed at around 25 years of age.)