Legalization Watch: Coronavirus Pandemic Puts New York’s Push for Legal Marijuana on Hold

Marijuana legalization in New York state won’t be in the budget for 2020 because of shifting priorities caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced recently.

Time and budget issues factored into the decision, given that New York emerged as a primary hotspot during the coronavirus pandemic, and will need to devote massive resources to the economic and humanitarian recovery efforts. But despite the setback, Governor Cuomo also noted that his administration will continue in its efforts to pass legalization legislation.

“We’re not going to get there. I don’t believe we get there because in truth that is something that had to be talked through and worked through, and the legislature wasn’t here. I was doing this COVID virus,” Cuomo told WAMC’s Alan Chartock, per this story on MarijuanaMoment.Net. “That requires time to do it right.”

“That is not a yes/no. That’s a, how does it work. How about the police? How many licenses? Who gives out the licenses? How do you do minority empowerment? How do we coordinate with Connecticut and New Jersey?” Cuomo continued. “And no one has really had the time to work those things through. So I don’t think we get there on that.”

Cuomo didn’t always back marijuana legalization as part of his legislative agenda. He initially was only in favor of decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana. The incumbent governor got pushed to the left on the issue by his 2018 gubernatorial primary challenger, “Sex in the City” actor Cynthia Nixon, who campaigned hard on the issue during her failed bid for New York’s highest office as a social justice effort to help the state’s communities of color. 

No word yet on if neighboring New Jersey will have any changes to its upcoming ballot initiative regarding marijuana legalization in November. Stay tuned for more updates on marijuana legalization efforts in New York and other states. Meanwhile, if you’re a medical or recreational marijuana user concerned about how the coronavirus situation is affecting your access to cannabis, check out this article for continuing updates and how-to tips on staying safe during this crisis.