Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Marijuana Advocates On St. Patrick's Day: Pot Safer Than Drunken Vomiting
By
Joseph Alexiou
Published Mar 18, 2012
Modified Mar 18, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Joseph Alexiou
Published Mar 18, 2012
Modified Mar 18, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
About a dozen demonstrators from Empire State NORML, the New York State chapter of the marijuana law reform group, gathered on the steps of City Hall yesterday in the spirit of a healthier St. Patrick's Day. Specifically, they wanted to highlight the importance of alternative forms of intoxication during the green beer-bathed festivities.
"There is a safer alternative to pools of vomit in the streets," said Doug Greene, the Legislative Director of Empire State NORML (ha—his name is "Greene"). The NYPD made more than 50,680 arrests for low-level marijuana offenses in 2011, once again making low-level pot possession the number one cause of arrest in NYC—which according to NORML cost the city $75 million (this all despite NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly specifically ordering officers to stop arresting people who bring small quantities of marijuana into open view during a stop-and-frisk). Comparatively, 16 percent of New Yorkers reported binge drinking in a 30 day period in 2010.
Tagged
City hall
marijuana
NORML
pot
st. patrick's day
weed
Joseph Alexiou
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
5 men charged with trespassing in 2 Manhattan manhole cases
Two people who were found soaking wet and smelling of sewage say they went underground to look for jewelry, according to police and a criminal complaint.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 7:49 p.m. ET
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
News
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
Mamdani extends ban on permits for new street fairs due to NYPD overtime
By
Carol Chen
Inside the Midtown Bus Terminal rebuild: Decks over Lincoln Tunnel approach, a new park
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Black couple seeking Queens apartment sues over racist text from broker
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .