New York Gov. Cuomo Announces Plan to Legalize Cannabis

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]O[/dropcap]n Dec. 17, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo outlined his 2019 agenda, which included the announcement to release a plan to legalize recreational cannabis in the state. In the address, he laid out his agenda as governor for the first 100 days of 2019.

The governor was fairly blunt in his speech about what he wants to accomplish. “Let’s legalize the adult use of recreational marijuana, once and for all,” Cuomo said during the speech. “We have had two criminal justice systems: one for the wealthy and well off, and one for everyone else. And that’s going to end.”

Cuomo also addressed the “unjust convictions,” which could signal a higher focus on criminal reparations in New York. Earlier this year, Cuomo ordered the New York Department of Health to investigate whether or not legalizing cannabis could be viable in the state. The agency’s report indicated that cannabis arrests over the last 20 years “have disproportionately affected low-income communities of color.”

Cuomo called cannabis “a gateway drug” as recently as 2017, but like many lawmakers, his stance on cannabis has slowly evolved over the last decade or so.

Currently, both the state Assembly and state Senate have bills to legalize recreational cannabis, but previous efforts were extinguished under GOP dominance in the state legislature. For the first time since 2011, both chambers will be controlled by Democrats. Assembly Bill A3506C and Senate Bill S3040C would legalize cannabis, and another proposal could emerge shortly.

Cuomo’s Democratic primary opponent Cynthia Nixon has also called for the legalization of cannabis, as it turns out, it’s a real popular selling point in the state of New York. Nixon’s approach was more about the imbalance of cannabis arrests among people of color, and no one know yet where Cuomo will focus his approach.

New York is poised to join the 10 other states that have legalized recreational cannabis, under the governor’s new plan.