'Highpothetically, New York legalizes cannabis'

BY SANJAY SINGH

New York State is the modern birthplace of sensible and equitable cannabis legislation thanks to countless advocates and organizations, including those who were only around briefly. While some advocates have been working for decades, my relationship with cannabis began recreationally in 2008 and matured over the years. From being arrested for public consumption to lobbying alongside New York’s most ardent advocates, one of my favorite experiences occurred during the fall of 2019. I compiled local stories from my friends and colleagues and made a film about a cannabis deliverer from the Lower East Side.

In 2019, Doug Greene was leading local advocacy alongside Crystal People Stokes and Liz Krueger. His breadth of knowledge about all things cannabis-inspired those who met him to support equitable cannabis policy. When Doug unexpectedly passed away in June and cannabis wasn’t included in the budget, I felt a wash of frustration. While reflecting over the years of sharing cannabis information among my community and collaborating on producing social events to amplify equity messaging, I realized that I needed a different approach. I was inspired to play a fictionalized version of myself, a mid-20s filmmaker and cannabis advocate who bakes infused banana bread with his grandmother to sell on the streets of New York. The film, titled “Highpothetically,” was shot on an iPhone X over 2 weeks and made entirely through donated efforts by the cast and crew. I am overjoyed with their support!

Social justice advocacy can be frustrating because progress is slow. It takes a band of persistent voices to elevate the social conscience. Watching the film reminds me of that frustration because it reflects my pensive response to Doug’s passing. It’s a perfect representation of the dejection that many advocates were feeling.

Although society is progressing, there are still many misconceptions about cannabis, especially with regard to how to talk about it and integrate it into our culture. Medical, recreational, adultuse, licensing, permitting, and other regulatory expressions are controls on access to the plant for its “uses.” I’ve gathered that cannabis has 2 purposes; material and therapeutic. All of the rules and regulations that determine who can use which part of the plant for whatever reason is political and subject to review. We have to remind ourselves that we are doing our best to figure it out, and as long as we’re open and communicative with each other, we can create positive change together.

Now that cannabis legislation has been passed in New York, I’m optimistic about what will become of the industry. My main concern is affordable access to quality cannabis. As the economics become clearer to federal regulators, I hope that people of color are able to own a sizable portion of the industry. I want to continue contributing to this “green rush” and as it evolves, I would love to use my experiences working with cannabis organizations and as a filmmaker to support advocacy through educational public service announcements for New York State, branded commercials, and films.