About a decade after states began legalizing recreational marijuana use, there’s little doubt who the biggest winners have been: criminals. And it’s equally apparent who the biggest losers have been: kids. New York state’s disastrous experiment with legalization is making both of those facts painfully — and dangerously — obvious.
There are now some 1,500 illegal pot shops across New York City, many of them openly advertising their wares on brick-and-mortar storefronts. Last year, illegal vendors did about $2 billion in sales statewide — better than Broadway shows. It’s as easy to buy an ounce of pot as it is a slice of pizza.
