Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York said on March 31 that marijuana legalization is ‘not likely’ to feature in the final budget. He explained that the issue proved too complicated as the State grapples with the spread of coronavirus.
Another sign that this policy change will not happen as Cuomo and advocates had planned comes from two newly revised budget bills that do not mention the proposal. That makes it all but sure that the legalization will not make the final cut. The Governor said that it is too much in too little time.
Later, Cuomo explained the reason why legal cannabis might be omitted from the budget. He spoke to WAMC’s Alan Chartock:
“We’re not going to get there. I don’t believe we get there because, in the 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. 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?”
He went on to ask
“How do you do minority empowerment? How do we coordinate with Connecticut and New Jersey? And no one has had the time to work those things through. So I don’t think we get there on that.”
Development
April 1 was the deadline to deliver a budget. Hence, the identical Senate and Assembly spending bills that were newly amended on March 31 are not likely to change extensively before they get a vote and find their way to the Governor’s desk.
A provision in the Governor’s original proposal was ‘intentionally omitted’ with the phrase being used all through the legislation for the policies that missed the cut. That does not mean that there is no appetite for the reform measure within the legislature. It was expected to make the cut, but coronavirus shifted priorities, and legalization proved quite complicated to work out before the deadline.
Top legislators said that there is no reason that they cannot develop a significant reform plan outside of the set budget. But, Governor Cuomo said earlier in March that his preference would be to address legalization via the budget since outside of the process, nothing can be done.
The unveiling of the budget bills appears to confirm the details included on a draft budget report shared with reporters on March 30. It also stated that the:
“Adopted Budget omits the Executive proposal to legalize adult-use cannabis.”
A revised standalone legalization bill was brought to the Senate with advocates hoping that language would be included in the budget, but it never happened. But, lawmakers can probably take up the matter separately when the budget is handled adequately. But, it remains to be seen when and if the legislature will tackle the matter. Many are still skeptical amidst the spread of the coronavirus.
The leaders
Sen. Liz Krueger said on March 30:
“Nothing is done until it is done, but the Senator has said previously that the Governor’s staff essentially took marijuana off the table weeks ago. If it can’t get done the right way in the budget right in the middle of overlapping public health and fiscal crises, that there is no reason it can’t get done right later.”
On his part, Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes told Politico that he hoped marijuana was included in the budget, but he affirmed that it was not featured. Kassandra Frederique of the Drug Policy Alliance stated:
“While legalizing cannabis is necessary to reduce the decades of unjust, racist targeting of communities of color in New York, our State faces a public health crisis right now and efforts to contain COVID-19 demand legislators’ full attention. We remain committed to seeing legalization passed in New York at a time when critical components of equity and community reinvestment can be thoroughly addressed.”
She said that marijuana regulation in New York should be centered on economic and racial justice since it affects the same communities that are targeted by drug enforcement, which also cannot access decent healthcare. These communities are also struggling with low wages, unstable housing, and unemployment.
Kassandra believes that the creation of a diversified and equitable sector that supports small businesses and farmers will be imperative coming out of the current crisis. She added:
“When the dust settles, and New York has survived this pandemic, these communities that are on the frontlines of this crisis—in addition to the legacy of harmful enforcement—must be the center of our rebuilding effort.”
Opposers
Prohibitionist group Smart Approaches To Marijuana was thrilled by the news that legalization would not feature in the budget. They said:
“the consideration of marijuana legalization and commercialization during this outbreak is unconscionable and extremely shortsighted.”
Cuomo initially planned to tour legal cannabis states to learn from their encounters and take valuable lessons back home, but the coronavirus outbreak thwarted that plan. The Governor highlighted legalization in his budget proposal in 2019, but after months of negotiation, the lawmakers failed to come up with a passable bill. Disagreements were focused on tax revenue allocation.
Cuomo believed that 2020 would see cannabis legalized in New York, as seen from his State of the State address in January. He even indicated that these efforts were still alive just a week ago, but he acknowledged that it was highly unlikely to make it into the budget this round.
Other states
In the meantime, the pandemic has demolished drug policy efforts throughout the country. Activists in California urge officials to allow digital signatures for a petition to revise the State’s recreational marijuana program. In Washington DC, advocates for a measure to decriminalize psychedelics also wrote to the mayor together with the local legislators urging them to accept online signatures for their ballot petition.
Also, a California campaign to authorize psilocybin mushrooms is striving for electronic signature gathering to qualify for the ballot. Another effort to for medical marijuana legalization in Nebraska is encountering similar signature-gathering problems, which is also the case in Missouri.
In Oregon, the supporters of a measure to decriminalize drug possession and a distinct initiative to legalize psilocybin for therapeutic uses have put on hold all in-person campaign events due to the pandemic.
The activists in Arizona shared some positive news a week ago, stating that they have acquired enough signatures to qualify for the State’s November ballot. However, the signatures have not yet been submitted to the State for verification purposes.
