Closing Notice

The City Bar will be closed on Monday, January 20, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

View All Issues View All Committees View All Committee Reports Search Issues & Policy

Drugs & the Law Committee

Overview

The Drugs and the Law Committee studies the dimensions of substance use and abuse and how society deals with those problems, and considers future drug policy goals and objectives.
Chairs
- Luke C. Schram
  Email Luke C. Schram
Reports
- Support Marijuana Legalization (Marihuana Regulation & Taxation Act): Assembly Hearing Testimony (October 16, 2018)
  
  Author(s): Drugs & the Law Committee Criminal Justice, Community Relations & Civil Rights Marijuana Legalization & Regulation
  
  Subject Area(s): Drug Reform Drug Prohibition
- Support Marijuana Legalization (Marihuana Regulation & Taxation Act) (June 11, 2018)
  
  Author(s): Drugs & the Law Committee Criminal Justice, Community Relations & Civil Rights Marijuana Legalization & Regulation
  
  Subject Area(s): Marijuana New York State Legislative Agenda
- Recommendations to the Trump Administration Regarding a Proposal for Comprehensive, Evidence-Based Federal Drug Policy (May 10, 2017)
  
  Author(s): Drugs & the Law Committee U.S. Presidential Transition
  
  Subject Area(s): Trump-Pence Presidential Transition Transition Memo
- 2017 Policy Recommendations for the Trump Administration (April 28, 2017)
  
  Author(s): Animal Law Committee Asian Affairs Committee Construction Law Committee Corrections & Community Reentry Committee Energy Committee Environmental Law Committee Foreign & Comparative Law Committee Health Law Committee Information Technology & Cyber Law Committee International Environmental Law Committee International Human Rights Committee Legal Issues of Climate Adaptation, Task Force on Mass Incarceration, Task Force on Mental Health Law Committee Middle Eastern & North African Affairs Committee Military and Veterans Affairs Committee National Security & the Rule of Law, Task Force on Project Finance Committee Sex & Law Committee Transportation Committee U.S. Presidential Transition Drugs & the Law Committee
  
  Subject Area(s): Trump-Pence Presidential Transition Transition Memo
- Charting a Wiser Course: Human Rights and the World Drug Problem (April 19, 2016)
  
  Author(s): Drugs & the Law Committee Marijuana Legalization & Regulation
  
  Subject Area(s): Drug Reform United Nations
- Report on Legislation Regarding the Possession and Use of Hypodermic Syringes and Needles (February 22, 2016)
  
  Author(s): HIV/AIDS Committee Drugs & the Law Committee
  
  Subject Area(s): Syringe Use AIDS/HIV
- Report on Governor Cuomo's proposal to restart the Antonio G. Olivieri Controlled Substances Therapeutic Research Program (February 01, 2014)
  
  Author(s): Drugs & the Law Committee Health Law Committee
  
  Subject Area(s): Medical Marijuana
- Testimony before the NYS Assembly Standing Committee on Health on pending legislation which would authorize and regulate the sale of medical marijuana in New York (December 18, 2013)
  
  Author(s): Drugs & the Law Committee Health Law Committee Marijuana Legalization & Regulation
  
  Subject Area(s): Medical Marijuana Marijuana
- Report on legislation which would create a system for the production, distribution and medical use of marijuana (June 20, 2013)
  
  Author(s): Drugs & the Law Committee Health Law Committee Marijuana Legalization & Regulation
  
  Subject Area(s): Medical Marijuana Marijuana
- Report on the NYPD's Stop-And-Frisk Policy (May 15, 2013)
  
  Author(s): Civil Rights Committee Criminal Courts Committee Criminal Justice Operations Committee Drugs & the Law Committee Criminal Justice, Community Relations & Civil Rights
  
  Subject Area(s): Stop and Frisk New York City Police Department (NYPD)
- 2013 Policy Recommendations for New York City's Next Mayor (May 01, 2013)
  
  Author(s): Animal Law Committee Banking Law Committee Children & the Law Committee Children, Council on Civil Court Committee Civil Rights Committee Consumer Affairs Committee Corrections & Community Reentry Committee Criminal Advocacy Committee Criminal Courts Committee Criminal Justice Operations Committee Criminal Law Committee Disability Law Committee Domestic Violence Committee Drugs & the Law Committee Education & the Law Committee Environmental Law Committee Housing & Urban Development Committee Monday Night Law/Moderate Means Committee Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Rights Committee Matrimonial Law Committee New York City Affairs Committee Real Property Law Committee Sex & Law Committee Social Welfare Law Committee Transportation Committee United Nations Committee
  
  Subject Area(s): NYC Policy Recommendations Transition Memo
- Updated report on legislation permitting the production, distribution and use of medical marijuana in New York State (February 01, 2013)
  
  Author(s): Drugs & the Law Committee Health Law Committee Marijuana Legalization & Regulation
  
  Subject Area(s): Medical Marijuana
- The International Drug Control Treaties: How Important Are They to U.S. Drug Reform? (August 2012) (September 01, 2012)
  
  Author(s): Drugs & the Law Committee
  
  Subject Area(s): Drug Reform
- Letter to Congress on the Ending Federal Funding Ban for Syringe Exchange Programs (June 2012) (June 01, 2012)
  
  Author(s): HIV/AIDS Committee Drugs & the Law Committee
  
  Subject Area(s): Syringe Exchange Programs
- Report on A.7347/S.2774 which would create a system for the production, distribution and medical use of marijuana for those who would likely benefit from such use (February 01, 2012)
  
  Author(s): Drugs & the Law Committee Health Law Committee Marijuana Legalization & Regulation
  
  Subject Area(s): Medical Marijuana Marijuana
- Medical Marijuana in New York: Following the Issues into 2010 (Including Transcript of February 2007 City Bar Program) (April 01, 2010)
  
  Author(s): Drugs & the Law Committee Marijuana Legalization & Regulation
  
  Subject Area(s): Medical Marijuana Marijuana
- Report on A.2063/S.4454 regarding the use of a controlled substance obtained during medical treatment for an overdose as evidence (Reissued June 2011) (January 01, 2010)
  
  Author(s): Drugs & the Law Committee
  
  Subject Area(s): Drug Use
- Letter to Congress regarding the federal funding ban for syringe exchange programs (December 2009) (December 01, 2009)
  
  Author(s): HIV/AIDS Committee Drugs & the Law Committee
  
  Subject Area(s): Syringe Exchange Programs
- Report on A.8396/S.5620 which would de-criminalize possession of a hypodermic syringe or needle that is lawfully possessed under New York's public health laws but contains a residual amount of a controlled substance (Reissued March 2010) (December 01, 2009)
  
  Author(s): HIV/AIDS Committee Drugs & the Law Committee
  
  Subject Area(s): Syringe Exchange Programs
- A Wiser Course: Ending Drug Prohibition, Fifteen Years Later. A Statement from the Committee on Drugs and the Law (April 2009) (June 01, 2009)
  
  Author(s): Drugs & the Law Committee Marijuana Legalization & Regulation
  
  Subject Area(s): Drug Prohibition Marijuana
- A Wiser Course: Ending Drug Prohibition (June 1994) (March 01, 2009)
  
  Author(s): Drugs & the Law Committee Marijuana Legalization & Regulation
  
  Subject Area(s): Drug Prohibition Marijuana
- Report commenting on A.4867 which would permit the manufacture, delivery, possession and use of marijuana for medical purposes (May 01, 2008)
  
  Author(s): Drugs & the Law Committee Marijuana Legalization & Regulation
  
  Subject Area(s): Medical Marijuana Marijuana
- Letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration(DEA) expressing support for Dr. Craker to be registered by the DEA as a bulk manufacturer of marijuana as it is consistent with "the public interest" as that term is used in 21 USC 823(a) (May 01, 2006)
  
  Author(s): Drugs & the Law Committee Marijuana Legalization & Regulation
  
  Subject Area(s): Medical Marijuana Marijuana
- Letter to Congress urging support of HR 4213, the Elimination of Barriers for Katrina Act, which would allow all victims of Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita, even those who have a prior drug conviction, to obtain important federal benefits (January 01, 2006)
  
  Author(s): Drugs & the Law Committee
  
  Subject Area(s): Drug Offenders
- Letter to Governor Pataki regarding Reforming the Rockefeller Drug Laws (August 2001) (August 01, 2001)
  
  Author(s): Corrections & Community Reentry Committee Criminal Justice, Council on Drugs & the Law Committee
  
  Subject Area(s): Rockefeller Drug Law
News & Media
- NYS Legislative Agenda: Create a System for the Production, Distribution and Adult Non-medical Use of Marijuana in New York (January 07, 2020)
- NYC Bar Panel: It’s Springtime for Cannabis in New York (Cannabis Wire) (May 10, 2019)
- Springtime for Cannabis: 75 Years After the LaGuardia Committee Report, What’s Next for New York? (May 09, 2019)
- 2019 New York State Budget Recap (April 08, 2019)
- Cannabis on the Horizon: Cannabis Legalization in New York City (November 01, 2018)
- NYPD to Ticket, Not Arrest, in Most Public Marijuana-Smoking Cases (New York Law Journal) (June 19, 2018)
- City Bar Recommends Legalization of Marijuana (June 11, 2018)
- The Legal History of Psychedelics (September 13, 2017)
- The Trump Administration and Drug Policy (May 25, 2017)
- New York City Bar Association Urges Trump Administration to Adopt a Comprehensive, Evidence-Based Federal Drug Policy (May 15, 2017)
- Police Reform: What's Working? (April 21, 2017)
- Donald Trump says stop-and-frisk can help troubled black communities (Newsweek) (September 21, 2016)
- International Drug Policy - Re “Rethink the Global War on Drugs” (Letter to the Editor) (New York Times) (April 27, 2016)
- New York City Bar Association Releases Report on World Drug Problem (April 19, 2016)
- Is Recreational Weed Still in Play with New York State and City Lawmakers? (November 11, 2015)
- What's New in New York City Cannabis Policy (November 10, 2015)
- Looking Ahead to the UN General Assembly Session on Drugs (November 02, 2015)
- Regulating Marijuana: What New York Can Learn from Other States (May 21, 2015)
- The Future of Marijuana Law in New York City – Panel Recap (February 24, 2015)
- City Bar Urges Passage of Compassionate Care Act to Permit Doctors to Prescribe Medical Marijuana in New York (March 13, 2014)
- New York City Bar Association Urges Passage of Compassionate Care Act to Permit Doctors to Prescribe Medical Marijuana in New York (March 13, 2014)
- New York City Bar Association Supports Medical Marijuana Legislation in New York State (December 19, 2013)
- New York City Bar Association Supports Medical Marijuana Legislation in New York State (December 18, 2013)
- A More Rational Approach to Incarceration - Carey R. Dunne (August 10, 2013)
- New York City Bar Association Supports Medical Marijuana Legislation (March 06, 2012)
- City Bar Supports Medical Marijuana Legislation (March 05, 2012)
- New York City’s Marijuana Arrest Policy (April 25, 2008)
Of Interest

Marijuana Legalization & Regulation resource page

Policy Recommendations for New York City's Next Mayor (2013)

Drugs & the Law Committee

The Drugs and the Law Committee studies the dimensions of substance use and abuse and how society deals with those problems, and considers future drug policy goals and objectives.

Marijuana Legalization & Regulation resource page

Policy Recommendations for New York City's Next Mayor (2013)

42 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036 | 212.382.6600

Drugs & the Law Committee

Drugs & the Law Committee

Featured

New York City Bar On Twitter