Bloomberg Pot: NYC Mayor Opposed to Legalizing Marijuana

Impact

Shocker of the century: the same guy who doesn't want us to have tons of soda or painkillers also doesn't want us to get high.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who was both praised and criticized for banning the sale of sweetened drinks larger than 16 ounces last year, now has a bone to pick with marijuana, which he does not wish to legalize.

During a Friday installent of his weekly radio show, the Independent politician said he's against weed legalization, as the stuff is stronger than it used to be. Before you call him a total killjoy (don't worry, I'll get to that part later), know that he'd said a day earlier that he aims to stop booking and arraigning many individuals charged with low-level marijuana-possession.

This policy change, which will go into effect next month, aims to clear out the crowds at jails and courts. Those with small amounts of pot will get desk appearance tickets if they have IDs and don't have any open warrants, according to Politico. In other words, people with just a little weed won't have to spend a night in jail. 

"It's the right thing to do, and it will allow us to target police resources where they're needed most," Bloomberg said of the policy.

He may have gone soft on those in possession, but if marijuana were legal, Bloomberg continued, drug dealers would start to sell something else, such as cocaine (as if they already don't). 

Clearly he's not a fan of drug use, as he said last month that the city had plans to restrict painkiller distribution in public hospitals' emergency rooms. Under the new policy, many public hospital patients would no longer be able to receive more than three days’ worth of narcotic painkillers such as Vicodin and Percocet.

"Abuse of prescription painkillers in our city has increased alarmingly," Bloomberg said in January, adding that painkiller abuse has even caused "holdups at neighborhood pharmacies." 

I'm sure his heart is in a good place about all these things: he doesn't want us all to die of heart attacks or become slaves to pills, but with him campaiging against soda, painkillers, and now marijuana, he's starting to look like a "No" man more likely to take than give.