Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the state of New York will move to legalize weed for recreational use.
Cuomo made the announcement in a tweet shared Monday as part of his 2021 State of the State.
We will legalize adult-use recreational cannabis, joining 15 states that have already done so.
This will raise revenue and end the failed prohibition of this product that has left so many communities of color over-policed and over-incarcerated.#SOTS2021
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 11, 2021
“Despite the many challenges New York has faced amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, it has also created a number of opportunities to correct longstanding wrongs and build New York back better than ever before,” Cuomo said in a statement. “Not only will legalizing and regulating the adult-use cannabis market provide the opportunity to generate much-needed revenue, but it also allows us to directly support the individuals and communities that have been most harmed by decades of cannabis prohibition.” (RELATED: Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf Moves To Legalize Recreational Marijuana)
Cuomo’s proposal will create an Office of Cannabis Management that will oversee the adult-use cannabis program along with the already existing medical and cannabinoid hemp programs, the press release stated. The proposal also will give licensing opportunities and assistance to entrepreneurs in communities of color where they were “disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs.”
Cuomo estimated that the legalization of adult-use recreational cannabis would create roughly $300 million in tax revenue, according to the press release.
Other states have already legalized recreational marijuana including: Alaska, California, Oregon, Nevada, Washington, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine.
Arizona, Montana, South Dakota and New Jersey are in the process of finalizing the enactment of legalization, according to a map produced by DISA Global Solutions.