Pot votes possible this year, Cahill says
State Assemblyman Kevin Cahill says there still is a chance New York lawmakers could vote this year to legalize the recreational use of marijuana despite reports that the matter probably is dead for now.
Cahill, D-Kingston, who supports the effort, said Tuesday that he believes the Assembly and Senate, both of which are controlled by Democrats, can reach and approve a deal before the current legislative session end in June.
“I believe there is still a realistic chance for us to begin the process of legalizing marijuana in our state before the end of the 2019 session,” Cahill wrote in an email. “It is too early to determine that it cannot be done.
“While the governor may be signaling his hesitancy, most of my colleagues are prepared to move forward in the next several weeks,” Cahill said.
But disagreements over the details of proposals to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults could prevent a vote this year.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, initially wanted legalization to be included in the state budget that took effect April 1. But he backed down from that plan
when it became obvious lawmakers couldn’t resolve thorny questions about the issue in time.
Kassandra Frederique, New York state director for the Drug Policy Alliance, is among those pressing for approval.
“The time for squabbling over details is over,” Frederique said. “We need action from the Democratic majority. Marijuana legalization needs to pass during this legislative session. Period.”
One lingering question is whether legalization will be paired with a proposal to expunge the criminal records of people arrested in the past for pot possession. Many state lawmakers, including Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, D-Bronx, say it’s essential such
a measure be included as a way to address decades of racial and economic disparities in the enforcement of marijuana laws.
In February, Cahill said some of his own family members who suffered from advanced cancer didn’t use marijuana to relieve pain because it was illegal. And he said “the time has come” to take marijuana out of the realm of criminality.
“The reality is, from a Marist poll, that 92 percent of people over 50 said they would use marijuana legally for different reasons,” the assemblyman said. He said many expressed a desire to use it for “relaxation,” “appetite purposes” “helping the sleep” or to “ameliorate some kind of condition.”