US Lawyer Database

§  127.  Protections for the use of cannabis; unlawful discriminations
prohibited.  1.  No  person,  registered   organization,   licensee   or
permittee,  employees,  or  their  agents  shall  be  subject to arrest,
prosecution, or penalty in any manner, or denied any right or privilege,
including but not limited to civil liability or disciplinary action by a
business or occupational or  professional  licensing  board  or  office,
solely  for  conduct  permitted under this chapter. For the avoidance of
doubt, the appellate division of the supreme court of the state  of  New
York,   and   any  disciplinary  or  character  and  fitness  committees
established by law are occupational and  professional  licensing  boards
within  the  meaning  of  this  section.  State or local law enforcement
agencies  shall  not  cooperate  with  or  provide  assistance  to   the
government  of  the United States or any agency thereof in enforcing the
federal controlled substances act solely  for  actions  consistent  with
this chapter, except as pursuant to a valid court order.
  2.  No  landlord may refuse to lease to and may not otherwise penalize
an individual solely for conduct authorized under this chapter, except:

(a) if failing to do so would cause the landlord to lose a monetary or licensing related benefit under federal law or regulations; or

(b) if a property has in place a smoke-free policy, it is not required to permit the smoking of cannabis products on its premises, provided no such restriction may be construed to limit the certified medical use of cannabis. 2-a. No school, college or university may refuse to enroll and may not otherwise penalize a person solely for conduct allowed under this chapter, except:

(a) if failing to do so would cause the school, college or university to lose a monetary or licensing related benefit under federal law or regulations; or

(b) if the school, college or university has adopted a code of conduct prohibiting cannabis use on the basis of a sincere religious belief of the school, college or university. 3. For the purposes of medical care, including organ transplants, a certified patient's authorized use of medical cannabis must be considered the equivalent of the use of any other medication under the direction of a practitioner and does not constitute the use of an illicit substance or otherwise disqualify a registered qualifying patient from medical care. 4. An employer shall adhere to policies regarding cannabis use in accordance with section two hundred one-d of the labor law. 5. No person may be denied custody of or visitation or parenting time with a minor under the family court act, domestic relations law or social services law, solely for conduct permitted under this chapter including, but not limited to, section 222.05 or 222.15 of the penal law, unless it is in the best interest of the child and the child's physical, mental or emotional condition has been impaired, or is in imminent danger of becoming impaired as a result of the person's behavior as established by a fair preponderance of the evidence. For the purposes of this section, this determination cannot be based solely on whether, when, and how often a person uses cannabis without separate evidence of harm. 6. A person currently under parole, probation or other state supervision, or released on recognizance, non-monetary conditions, or bail prior to being convicted, shall not be punished or otherwise penalized for conduct allowed under this chapter unless the terms and conditions of said parole, probation, or state supervision explicitly prohibit a person's cannabis use or any other conduct otherwise allowed under this chapter. A person's use of cannabis or conduct under this chapter shall not be prohibited unless it has been shown by clear and convincing evidence that the prohibition is reasonably related to the underlying crime. Nothing in this provision shall restrict the rights of a certified medical patient.