03/19/2015
The state of New York could legalize ma*****na for recreational use as early as 2015.
State Sen. Liz Krueger (D) will reintroduce the Ma*****na Regulation and Taxation Act during the next legislative session, which begins in January, her office confirmed to The Huffington Post on Monday.
Krueger's bill would permit the opening of retail ma*****na dispensaries, which would be regulated by the State Liquor Authority. The bill would establish an excise tax on all ma*****na sales, and adults would legally be able to possess up to two ounces of ma*****na and grow up to six ma*****na plants at home for personal use. Krueger introduced a similar bill in 2013 that also aimed to legalize the possession, use and sale of limited amounts of recreational ma*****na, but the bill never made it out of committee.
New York is not a referendum state, which means that if next year's measure gets through the legislature and is signed into law, it will immediately go into effect and will not require a vote by New Yorkers. Colorado and Washington, both of which legalized recreational ma*****na in 2012, did so through voter-approved ballot measures.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), who has not made it clear whether he would support a bill that legalizes ma*****na for recreational use. In January, Cuomo said that Colorado-style legalization in New York is "a nonstarter for me."
Earlier this summer, New York became the 23rd state in the country to legalize medical ma*****na. Moreover, the state decriminalized the possession of up to 25 grams of ma*****na
"While Krueger doesn't smoke pot and doesn't think anyone else should, she doesn't think the policy of prohibition has been successful in controlling ma*****na use, and [thinks] that it should be treated more as a public health issue."
To date, only Colorado and Washington have legalized cannabis for recreational use. In November, Oregon and Alaska voters will decide if they also want to legalize recreational ma*****na for adults.
