New York: cannabis legalization aborted

After repeatedly promising recreational cannabis legalization within the year, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has finally admitted that legalization will not happen anytime soon. Similar to New Jersey, the governor failed to gather enough votes from lawmakers to ensure the bill's approval.

Legalizing, easier said than done

Elected last November, during the midterms, the governors of New Jersey, New York, and Illinois have all promised swift legalization of recreational cannabis. Phil Murphy, the governor of New Jersey, had even announced legalization within the first 100 days from his investiture. Nevertheless, they encountered resistance from parliamentarians who signaled their intention to take the necessary time.

In New Jersey, the governor had planned A vote on legalization in March. However, despite intensive work on his bill, in conjunction with the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate, the three men were unable to gather enough support from parliamentarians. The vote ultimately was canceled a few days before the scheduled date.

In New York, it's the same story: the vote will not take place during the scheduled legislative session. «I don't think it's doable now,» stated Andrew Cuomo. «No matter how much effort I put in over 11 days. If they tell me in the Senate that they don't have enough votes, I'll take them at their word.» Some pro-legalization lawmakers are still trying to find a compromise before the end of the legislative session on June 19th, but the governor seems to have lost hope.

Despite the fundamental agreement on legalization, disagreements revolve around its form, meaning the regulations. Some fear that legalization will not benefit the victims of the war on drugs but will actually serve the white capitalist elite. The goal is to establish regulations that prioritize communities negatively affected by prohibition. The issue of expunging criminal records is also being debated.

Finally, only the governor of Illinois has so far managed to keep his promise. State lawmakers have just approved its legalization project recreational cannabis. This places a strong emphasis on social justice. Sales are set to begin in January of next year.