New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced at a press event Feb. 20 that he plans to tour legal cannabis states as part of his effort to legalize adult-use cannabis in the Empire State this year, according to a Times Union report.
Cuomo plans to visit Massachusetts, Illinois and either California or Colorado to find out which aspects of their legal cannabis program have worked and which have not, as well as their lessons learned, the news outlet reported.
In this announcement, Cuomo said social equity is one of his main goals for legalization in New York, and he and his team plan to discuss with other states how aspects of social equity and law enforcement have worked for them, Times Union reported.
Last year’s legislative effort to legalize adult-use cannabis in New York stalled in the Senate, but the state did manage to pass a decriminalization bill during last year’s legislative session.
Last fall, Cuomo hosted a Regional Cannabis Regulation and Vaping Summit with the governors of New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania to explore a unified approach to cannabis legalization and regulation.
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Earlier this year, Cuomo renewed his push for legalization, vowing in his 2020 State of the State address to legalize adult-use cannabis this year. He proceeded to include a legalization plan in his 2020 state budget proposal.