Buffalo Cannabis Movement
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Buffalo NY
 | |
| Formation | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Type | Non Profit, Grassroots |
| Focus | Legalization or decriminalization of marijuana in the United States |
| Location |
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Region served | United States |
The Buffalo Cannabis Movement is an American grassroots and nonprofit organization based in Buffalo, New York, whose aim is to move public opinion sufficiently to achieve the legalization of non-medical marijuana in the United States so that the responsible use of cannabis by adults is no longer subject to penalty. BCM's mission aligns with NORML's mission of "support[ing] the removal of all criminal penalties for the private possession and responsible use of marijuana by adults, including the cultivation for personal use, and the casual nonprofit transfers of small amounts," and "support[ing] the development of a legally controlled market for cannabis."
As of 2024, the BCM is still an active nonprofit and grassroots organization working across the state of New York, Pennsylvania and various other places across the United States such as Tonawanda, Buffalo and Erie county.
BCM was founded in 2014 as the Buffalo Marijuana Movement having first drafted the 2014 bill "The Buffalo Marijuana Act".[1][2] Since then, the organization has played a central role in the cannabis movement in Buffalo. The organization is growing grassroots movement with members ranging from stay-at-home parents, and veterans, to academics of higher education, and members of the medical industry. BCM holds monthly public meetings as well as "as needed" committee meeting.
In spring 2015, the group voted to change their name from marijuana to cannabis due to connotations of the term including anti-Mexican sentiments from the 1930s and the more recent racist "new jim crow" history behind the term.[2]
Criticisms of the NYS compassionate care act and its implementation[3][4] lead the group to draft a new bill, The Buffalo Medical Cannabis Act, that would expand up the NYS law which they believe would be more successful.
