Gov. Cuomo proposes recreational marijuana legalization

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed to legalize recreational marijuana use as part of his 2021 State of the State agenda Wednesday, according to a press release.

Cuomo’s proposal includes creating an Office of Cannabis Management to oversee both recreational and medicinal cannabis use. Cuomo also plans to implement a licensing program for marijuana entrepreneurs from marginalized communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs, according to the release. 

New York state expects cannabis legalization to increase tax revenue by over $300 million. Sale of recreational marijuana products would be limited to those age 21 and older.

The state decriminalized illegal possession of marijuana in 2019 and created a process to expunge criminal records for certain marijuana-related convictions. The state also conducted research in 2018 that showed that the positive impacts of legalizing recreational marijuana outweigh the consequences, according to the release.

“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,” Cuomo said in the release.