Former New York City Department of Records Commissioner Brian Andersson told Newsmax on Monday that he never could have dreamed up the New York state law that offers its initial marijuana dispensary licenses solely to entrepreneurs with pot convictions.
"By this thinking, I guess Al Capone and Dutch Schultz should have gotten the first liquor licenses once Prohibition was over," Andersson said during an appearance on "National Report."
Andersson also questioned how this new law possibly works if the applicants for the licenses have other criminal records in addition to those for marijuana, asking if this would disqualify them from receiving a dispensary.
Andersson also criticized New York City for its inability to take care properly of migrants that have arrived in the city by bus, many of them sent by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott as a protest against the Biden administration's border policies.
"At what point do you declare yourself a sanctuary city and not realize what that really means," Andersson said. Maybe New York City "should have had a bit of forethought ... because at the same time these migrants are going to overwhelm the system."
Andersson also slammed New York City Mayor Eric Adams for his police policies, citing the emphasis on discouraging cops from congregating and speaking to each other while on the job.
He said that Adams "is concentrating on the wrong things," pointing out that "crime is surging ... [and] there is a lot more to be concerned about then two or three cops standing on the corner for two minutes" speaking to each other.
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.