Thanks to the new $1.9 trillion budget passed by President Joe Biden, New York is going to receive $100 billion to help offset the state’s deficit. However, while this is wonderful news for the state, could it hurt its chances of legalizing cannabis?
Governor Andrew Cuomo, a known cannabis proponent, has been pushing for months to try and get the state to legalize and tax cannabis in order to help the budget. One op-ed in the New York Times, an anti-cannabis perspective, claimed that this new budget move takes away an “excuse” to legalize.
However, there are many more reasons to legalize cannabis than just to ensure that there is more money coming in. Governor Cuomo has also talked about how important it is to him to see cannabis equity increase, and to help ease some of the hurt from the War on Drugs.
“Despite the many challenges New York has faced amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, it has also created a number of opportunities to correct long-standing wrongs and build New York back better than ever before,” Governor Cuomo said regarding his hopes to legalize. “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.”
If New York does legalize cannabis, an Office of Cannabis Management will be set up to oversee the programs and the industry, and there will be focus on equity, including licensing assistance for entrepreneurs looking to get into the industry.
While it certainly is true that with more money coming in, New York will need money from legal cannabis a little less, the impacts from legalization can keep money coming in for years to come, and the impacts from social equity will be felt across the state.
Although he’s a proponent of legal cannabis, Governor Cuomo has been making headlines due to allegations of misconduct as of late. It’s unclear what the future holds for Governor Cuomo, who has been accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior by multiple women, among other concerns raised against him. Last Friday, nearly the entire New York delegation had urged Governor Cuomo to resign.
