All ads up: Marijuana must be legalized, say advocates

The budding battle over legalizing pot in New York is heating up ahead of budget season.

A coalition of medical marijuana companies launched a campaign Monday warning that time is of the essence if Empire State lawmakers are serious about reaping the full benefits of legal reefer.

A TV spot sponsored by the New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association touts the tax benefits of allowing adults to toke up — and cautions that “Albany needs to take action before we lose out.”

New York is practically surrounded by states and areas where the wacky tobacky is no longer considered a controlled substance.

Massachusetts and Canada legalized pot last year, and New Jersey is on the cusp of finalizing adult-use marijuana legislation. In all, 10 states across the U.S. have legalized marijuana.

The TV spot, dubbed “Legalize It,” touts a study by City Controller Scott Stringer’s office that found the state could reap as much $436 million annually in new tax revenue from legal marijuana sales, and the city as much as $335 million.

“New York needs to act on the governor’s proposal and position itself to be the leader in the Northeast region. This legislation will create opportunity for New Yorkers that will lead to a diverse medical and adult-use cannabis market place,” said Adam Gooers, president of the medical cannabis group.

The ad is slated to be accompanied by an online petition encouraging Gov. Cuomo and legislative leaders to OK legalization.

Cuomo presented a path toward legal pot for adults older than 21 in his annual budget, which needs to be approved by April 1.