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Talking Trash: Throwing Out the Big Apple

Urban Investigations

Blunt Conversations

In the summer of 2018, the New York State Health Department issued a report recommending the legalization of marijuana. This report came after Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city would ticket people caught smoking marijuana rather than arrest them. How do NYC’s changing marijuana laws impact New Yorkers? Who profits? Who loses out?

During the 2018-2019 school year, CUP collaborated with Teaching Artist Hugo Rojas, Designer Hrudaya Yanamandala and public high school students from the Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice (LGJ) to unpack New York City’s marijuana policies and the impact on local communities. To investigate, students surveyed members of their community, interviewed stakeholders working on the issue, and used moss to create artwork that explores different sides of the debate.