New York lawmakers agree to legalize recreational marijuana

Lawmakers reached an agreement Sunday to legalize recreational marijuana sales in New York.At least 14 other states already allow residents to buy marijuana for recreational and not just medical use,

Lawmakers reached an agreement Sunday to legalize recreational marijuana sales in New York. At least 14 other states already allow residents to buy marijuana for recreational and not just medical use, and New York’s past efforts to pass marijuana have failed in recent years. Democrats who now wield a veto-proof majority in the state Legislature have made passing it a priority this year, and Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration has estimated legalization could eventually bring the state about $350 million annually. “My goal in carrying this legislation has always been to end the racially disparate enforcement of marijuana prohibition that has taken such a toll on communities of color across our state, and to use the economic windfall of legalization to help heal and repair those same communities,” Sen. Liz Krueger, Senate sponsor of the bill and chair of the Senate’s finance committee, said.