CATSKILLS REGION - The Democratic candidate for the 19th Congressional District, Antonio Delgado, is a former rap singer who released a CD titled “Painfully Free” in 2006 in which he uses the N-word, is critical of the two-party political system calls the “dead” presidents “white su premacists” and blasts capitalism, the New York Post reported on Monday. Delgado, who defeated six other Democrats to capture his party’s nomination for the November election against incumbent Republican John Faso, has since earned a law degree. Back 12 years ago in his rap incarnation, Delgado was known as “AD The Voice.” The Post quoted some of his lyrics. “Dead presidents can’t represent me, not when most of them believe in white supremacy/like spittin’ on my ancestry.” Delgado defended his lyrics to the Post. “This is a willful and selective misreading of my work for political purposes,” he said. “My music defies the same stereotypical notions that led you and whoever chose to share this music with you to immediately hear certain words and think they are bad or scary. If you listen to the lyrics my mission is clear.”

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ALBANY: Legalizing marijuana across New York is an overall positive as long as cannabis is regulated as it is in other states, according to a new report from the state Department of Health. The report looks at health effects, public safety concerns such as incarceration rates, and economic impact of legalizing marijuana. Marijuana is easily purchased illegally, according to the report, but those buying are at a disadvantage for understanding its potency or safety. The report says that can be helped by regulations and labels, like with alcohol and tobacco. "Not understanding what may be in a substance when it's illicitly used is really significant as compared to a regulated process in which we know and have confidence in the product," says Johanne Morne, director of the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute. The report notes that laws against marijuana have not curbed its use, but New York has the highest arrest rate for marijuana — nearly double the national average — and those arrests disproportionally affect communities of color. Economically, the report says the state could collect between an estimated $248.1 million and $677.7 million in one year from tax revenues and could potentially create thousands of jobs.

Research acknowledged neighboring states Vermont and Massachusetts allow both recreational and medical use, and examples showed out-of-state residents were willing to risk buying legal marijuana if they had easy access and a safe product.

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