BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – The clock is ticking on legalized marijuana in New York State.
Three weeks from Wednesday marks the end of the 2019 legislative session –the last day lawmakers can pass legislation for the calendar year- and lawmakers inched closer towards its legalization efforts with a series of amendments to the "Marihuana regulation and taxation act".
Some of the amendments included a lower amount of marijuana that one can possess and the creation of an Office of Cannabis Management, but the looming question remains: Can lawmakers get the necessary votes to pass its legalization this year?
"I don't have a headcount," Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul told WBEN. "A lot of it came down to how much marijuana are people able to possess legally? It went from two pounds to three or four ounces. What happens to the opportunity to have licenses? Does it go to communities that have been historically affected by marijuana?"
Those are among the questions that politicians will need to come to a consensus on if they want it to pass this year.
Republican Assemblyman Angelo Morinello said lawmakers are inching closer towards a consensus, but wasn't sure how close they were on the votes. He said he agreed with a key aspect of the legislation: expunging convictions for low-level marijuana offenders.
"Sometimes you have to take steps to accomplish your goal," Morinello said while explaining that he's not sure if marijuana will pass through the assembly. "I think that if the emphasis is on the decriminalization and the impact on those that have been convicted of the small amounts...I think there's merit that we at least do that, which has negatively impacted a part of the community."
Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a radio interview on Tuesday that some lawmakers in the state senate are holding out.
"I can speak for myself, I'm fully supportive of the legislation," Kennedy said. "New York continues to fall behind other states in the nation and other countries, which directly borders our state. It's important that New York State does the right thing."
