BREAKING NEWS: It's Time To Make Weed Legal In NY 'Once And For All,' Cuomo Says

The governor said he wants to legalize recreational pot early in his third term, but offered no details on how to do it.

By Noah Manskar, Patch Staff | Dec 17, 2018

NEW YORK — Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday named legalizing recreational marijuana among his priorities for the first 100 days of his next term, but offered no details on how to do it. The Democratic governor fully embraced legalization as a key to ending racial inequities in the criminal justice system during a wide-ranging speech in Midtown outlining an ambitious policy agenda.

"We have had two criminal justice systems: One for the wealthy and well off, and one for everyone else. And that's going to end," Cuomo said.

"We must also end the needless and unjust criminal convictions and the debilitating criminal stigma," he added. "And let's legalize the adult use of recreational marijuana once and for all."

The speech cemented a significant shift in Cuomo's position on legalizing recreational pot, a step nine other states have taken despite the drug's illegality under federal law.

The governor was opposed to legalization as recently as last year, reportedly calling it a "gateway drug." He did not mention marijuana in this year's State of the State speech in January. About two weeks later he announced a study of legalization, which concluded it would do more good than harm.

The governor's movement on the issue coincided with a primary challenge to his re-election from Cynthia Nixon, who embraced legalization early in her campaign.

Cuomo's speech left many open questions about what legalization could look like in New York. He did not say how exactly the drug would be regulated, how marijuana tax revenues would be used, or whether he will include a plan in his upcoming state budget.

Cuomo also did not directly say whether he wants to expunge the criminal records of New Yorkers with pot-related offenses, as his state Department of Health recommended this summer.

Legalizing pot was just one item on Cuomo's lengthy to-do list for the first few months of next year. In the same breath he repeated his support for ending the state's cash bail system, in which many people charged with crimes have to pay money to be freed from jail.

The governor got behind bail reform in his January State of the State speech, but legislation to change the system has gotten stalled.

"A judge should determine the individual's risk of release rather than the individual's access to wealth," Cuomo said Monday.

Also among the governor's priorities for next year are banning corporate political contributions; passing a law to make it easier for childhood sexual abuse victims to sue their abusers; and ending vacancy decontrol, a provision under which rent-stabilized apartments fall out of regulation when their rents get high enough.

He also got behind major election reforms, including automatic voter registration, early voting and making Election Day a state holiday. Officials called for some such changes after chaos unfolded at New York City polling places last month.

Much of Cuomo's agenda would not have stood a chance in Albany with Republicans still in control of the state Senate. But many proposals could become reality with Democrats in control of both houses of the Legislature come January.

"There are no more excuses, my friends," Cuomo said. "Now is the time to stand up and lead and do what you've said you were going to do all those years and make a Democratic vision a reality."

(Lead image: Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks at the New York City Bar Association on Monday. Photo from Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Office/Flickr)