Andrew Cuomo indicated during his annual State of the State address in Albany that legalizing recreational marijuana for adults remains one of his top priorities in 2020.
“This year, let’s work with our neighbors – New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania – to coordinate a safe and fair system and let’s legalize the adult use of marijuana,” said Mr. Cuomo.
He also proposed creating a “Global Cannabis and Hemp Center for Science, Research and Education” within the state’s university systems that would be the first of its kind.
Mr. Cuomo, New York’s governor since 2011, pushed during his previous State of the State address to legalize the recreational use of marijuana among adults and set up a system for taxing and regulating commercial sales.
Democrats controlling the state legislature failed to see eye-to-eye with the governor, however, and ultimately lawmakers recessed for the year last June without following through.
Eleven states and D.C. have legalized the recreational use of marijuana in the face of federal prohibition, including nine where adults can purchase the plant from licensed dispensaries.
Mr. Cuomo said during his previous State of the State address that he believed New York could earn roughly $300 million in annual revenue through legalizing and taxing pot sales.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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