The governor of New York said on Monday he will be sending an amended version of his marijuana legalization proposal to the legislature this week, with hopes of striking a deal to pass the reform through the budget ahead of an April 1 deadline. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said during a press briefing that while he and lawmakers “don’t have an agreement yet,” he believes “we’re making progress.” The comments come as leading legislators and cannabis reform advocates have harshly criticized aspects of Cuomo’s initial plan that he proposed as part of his budget last month. “I’m sending an amended bill. Legalizing recreational marijuana is something we’ve tried to do for several years,” the governor said. “It is overdue in my opinion—you have people who are incarcerated for crimes that, frankly, they shouldn’t have a record on.”
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 02/15/2021 15:56:00