ALBANY, N.Y. (WKBW) — New York State has reached an agreement to legalize recreational marijuana, according to Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes.
Lawmakers are finalizing a bill that would:
- Create a new state regulator for cannabis products.
- Decriminalize the possession of up to three ounces of marijuana.
- Allow New Yorkers to cultivate marijuana for personal use.
- NYS will study a new system for determining whether drivers are intoxicated because of marijuana use.
"We’re creating a better society. We're creating a better school system. We're creating a better community where it's just gonna be better for everybody," said Peoples-Stokes.
Zephyr Partners, located in San Diego, is paying close attention to the deal struck in Albany. The company plans on building a cannabis campus in South Buffalo. The facility would create over 500 jobs. The heads of the company say this news is huge.
"This is a major first stop," said Brad Termini of Zephyr Partners. "It's just about as exciting as that Bills going to the AFC championship game."
During a briefing on Wednesday afternoon, Governor Andrew Cuomo said the state was close to coming to a deal although he referenced the state was close to a deal three years in a row and a deal never happened. The governor also listed the legalization of marijuana for recreational use as one of the top priorities of the state budget Wednesday.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier today on legalizing recreational marijuana in NYS.
— Jeff Rusack (@JeffRusack) March 24, 2021
"To say we're going to stop it, is not an option."@wkbw pic.twitter.com/p15sEQf4Tb
On March 13, Peoples-Stokes said in an interview with 7 Eyewitness News she was confident recreational marijuana would be legalized in New York during this legislative session.
“I'm actually more confident than I have been in the past,” said Peoples-Stokes.
On March 16, State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said lawmakers were “extremely close” to legalizing recreational marijuana.
The governor previously said the legalization of marijuana for recreational use would generate about $300 million a year for the state and it would stop what he called “exaggerated injustice” for minorities.
NYS Senator Patrick Gallivan (R - 59th District) previously stated he was not in support of the legalization of recreational marijuana.
“There's no discussion about public health and safety,” Gallivan said in a January 2021 interview with WKBW.
He said a deficit should not be a reason for supporting it.
"No. Not at all and I think we have to deal with public health and safety first. We don't know — there's no science that says smoking marijuana is healthy and smoking is okay and not detrimental to your health and I think that has to come first,” Gallivan explained. "We’ve got people that are advocating for the legalization of recreational simply based on the state having a deficit."
People-Stokes says official passage could come next week.
