New York state leaders announced an agreement on legislation that would legalize marijuana across the state — a move they say would create jobs and bring in millions in tax dollars.
The bill would expand New York’s existing medical marijuana programs and establish the Office of Cannabis Management « to implement a comprehensive regulatory framework that would cover medical, adult-use and cannabinoid hemp, » Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office said in a statement Sunday morning. The development of an adult-use cannabis industry in New York has the potential to create 30,000 to 60,000 jobs and the ability to earn $350 million annually in tax collections, his office said. « Legalizing adult-use cannabis isn’t just about creating a new market that will provide jobs and benefit the economy — it’s also about justice for long-marginalized communities and ensuring those who’ve been unfairly penalized in the past will now get a chance to benefit. I look forward to signing this legislation into law, » Cuomo said. The Legal Aid Society issued a statement Sunday in support of the announcement. « This landmark legislation brings justice to New York State by ending prohibition, expunging conviction records that have curtailed the opportunities of countless predominately young Black and Latinx New Yorkers, and delivers economic justice to ensure that communities who have suffered the brunt of aggressive and disparate marijuana enforcement are first in line to reap the economic gain, » Anne Oredeko, supervising attorney of the Racial Justice Unit, and Anthony Posada, supervising attorney of the Community Justice Unit at The Legal Aid Society, said in a statement.
