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Medical Marijuana-Hating Assemblyman Caught With Marijuana Hopes Bust Won't Make Constituents Like Him Less
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Mar 16, 2013
Modified Mar 16, 2013
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By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Mar 16, 2013
Modified Mar 16, 2013
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Yesterday, we brought you the news that medical marijuana-hating Assemblyman Steve Katz was arrested and charged with marijuana possession after a getting pulled over at a car stop in Albany on Thursday. Katz has since released a statement on the arrest, saying he's "confident that once the facts are presented that this will quickly be put to rest."
The facts presented thus far, meanwhile, are that the Republican Katz, who serves on the Assembly's Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Committee and voted against legalizing medical marijuana in 2011, was allegedly caught with less than 25 grams of pot in his car, after a cop pulled him over for speeding on Thursday morning.
He's not looking at any major jail time—he was charged with the unlawful possession of marijuana, which is a violation carrying a punishment of up to $285 in fines. But considering he put out a statement a few days ago advocating for the “struggle against illegal drug culture and the abuse of narcotics," the hypocrisy isn't really lost on anyone. In his statement, Katz said he hoped the incident would "not overshadow the work I have done over the years for the public and my constituency." But as Brooklyn State Senator Marty Golden put it, "Be true to yourself. If you like marijuana and smoke marijuana, at least vote for it." Hear, hear.
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Albany
marijuana
Marty Golden
state assembly
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Rebecca Fishbein
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