The state of New York seemed unlikely to legalize recreational marijuana sales before lawmakers recess for the year Wednesday.
State Sen. Liz Krueger, a sponsor of the proposed Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, or MRTA, conceded defeat ahead of the current legislative session in Albany adjourning.
“It is clear now that MRTA is not going to pass this session,” Ms. Krueger, Manhattan Democrat, said in a statement.
“This is not the end of the road, it is only a delay. Unfortunately, that delay means countless more New Yorkers will have their lives upended by unnecessary and racially disparate enforcement measures before we inevitably legalize,” Ms. Krueger said.
Ten states since 2012 have defied federal marijuana prohibition by legalizing recreational use for adults, including seven where retail pot can be purchased from licensed dispensaries.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, announced his support in January for legalizing recreational marijuana within New York and implementing a scheme for taxing and regulating retail sales, but efforts by lawmakers in the state Senate and Assembly to follow through have since fizzled.
“Through months of negotiation and conversation with the Governor’s office and my legislative colleagues, we made great strides to improve our bill and bring more people on board,” Ms. Krueger said. “We came very close to crossing the finish line, but we ran out of time.
“I will continue to push for a tax-and-regulate adult-use program with all the right safeguards in place, one that centers on restorative justice and reinvestment in the communities most harmed by decades of failed prohibition policies,” she said. “We will build on the success of other states who have chosen to legalize, including many of our neighbors. I have no doubt that prohibition is an outdated and irrational policy, and its days are numbered.”
Mr. Cuomo said in a statement later Wednesday that he would support lawmakers passing a bill in the meantime decriminalizing but not outright legalizing recreational marijuana.
“I understand the desire to end session today as planned, and will give the legislature a message of necessity to expedite passage if required,” Mr. Cuomo said. “This legislative proposal is not new. I first proposed this decriminalization measure in 2013, and again in this year’s budget. The time to act is now.”
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