The marijuana legislation has earmarked twenty percent (20%) of the tax revenue collected from the sale of recreational marijuana to be used for cannabis prevention, education and treatment. The legislation created the New York State Drug Treatment Public Education Fund for this purpose. The money in this fund shall be given to the Commissioner of the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) and disbursed in consultation with the Commissioner of the Department of Health (DOH), the Office of Mental Health (OMH), the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and the Commissioner of the New York State Education Department (NYSED) for the following purposes:
(a) To develop and implement a youth-focused public health education and prevention campaign, including school-based prevention, early intervention, and health care services and programs to reduce the risk of cannabis and other substance use by school-aged children
(b) To develop and implement a statewide public health campaign focused on the health effects of cannabis and legal use, including an ongoing education and prevention campaign that educates the general public, including parents, consumers and retailers, on the legal use of cannabis, the importance of preventing youth access, the importance of safe storage and preventing secondhand cannabis smoke exposure, information for pregnant or breastfeeding women, and the over consumption of edible cannabis products
(c) To provide substance use disorder treatment programs for youth and adults, with an emphasis on programs that are culturally and gender competent, trauma-informed, evidence-based and provide a continuum of care that includes screening and assessment (substance use disorder as well as mental health), early intervention, active treatment, family involvement, case management, overdose prevention, prevention of communicable diseases related to substance use, relapse management for substance use and other co-occurring behavioral health disorders, vocational services, literacy services, parenting classes, family therapy and counseling services, medication-assisted treatments, psychiatric medication and psychotherapy.
To ensure the money from this fund reaches individuals and communities most in need of cannabis prevention, education and treatment services, the cannabis social equity coalition will assist community organizations and leaders engage in an organized effort to identify these individuals and communities and make them known to OASAS as well as DOH, OMH, NYSED and OCM so that they receive these much needed services.