New York is unlikely to legalize recreational marijuana before lawmakers adjourn for the year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo indicated this week.
Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, told reporters during a news conference Monday that the state Senate lacks the votes to pass a bill that would legalize, regulate and tax marijuana, casting doubt on its odds of passing before the legislative session ends June 19.
“I think politically the Senate is not ready to do it,” Mr. Cuomo said about legalizing pot. “I don’t think it is feasible at this point. I don’t think it matters how much I push in 11 days. I think when the Senate says we don’t have the votes, I take them at their word.”
Marijuana is prohibited under federal law but legalized by most states, including seven and counting where adults can purchase it for recreational purposes from licensed dispensaries — Alaska, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon and Washington state.
Mr. Cuomo proposed in January that New York follow suit, but lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled state Senate and Assembly have failed in the months since to hammer out how.
State Sen. Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat and the sponsor of the latest marijuana bill being considered, said last week that she lacked legalization seemed unlikely “unless the Assembly passes it first and the governor comes out in full-throated support.”
“When they say ’if the Assembly passes it first,’ which they probably never would, ’and if the governor did a full-throated campaign, then maybe I could pass it,’ they’re telling you something,” the governor responded Monday.
Mr. Cuomo also partly blamed neighboring New Jersey, where recent efforts by Democratic-controlled legislature similarly fell apart.
“I also think that when New Jersey didn’t pass it, some of the wind came out of the political sail,” he said.
New York state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Yonkers Democrat, said last week that she believed marijuana legalization will inevitably happen once lawmakers resolve issues involving equities and tax revenue.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday that he planned to meet with both Ms. Stewart-Cousins and state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Bronx Democrat, to discuss potentially reaching a resolution between the legislation session expires.
“I believe after so much examination there still is time to get it right, but I would say it’s very important to ensure that it’s right and that what is done ensures economic justice,” he said.
Mr. Cuomo previously predicted New York, the third-largest state by population, would earn about $300 million in annual tax revenue by legalizing and taxing recreational marijuana sales. California, the country’s most populous state, collected a $345.2 million in marijuana-related tax revenue as a result of the first year’s worth of recreational sales, state officials revealed in February.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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