In this Aug. 22, 2019, file photo, Nate McDonald, General Manager of Curaleaf NY operations, talks about medical marijuana plants during a media tour of the Curaleaf medical cannabis cultivation and processing facility, in Ravena, N.Y. New Yorkers can now possess and use up to 3 ounces of cannabis under a legalization bill signed Wednesday, March 31, 2021, by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, while sales of recreational-use marijuana won t become legal for an estimated 18 months until the state draws up regulations. AP Photo/Hans Pennink
New York adults over the age of 21 can now possess and use marijuana – even in public – under a legalization bill signed Wednesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, though legal sales of recreational-use cannabis won’t start for an estimated 18 months until regulations are set.
AP Photo
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
New Yorkers can now possess and use up to 3 ounces of cannabis under a legalization bill signed Wednesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, while sales of recreational-use marijuana won’t become legal for an estimated 18 months until the state draws up regulations.
Advocates for criminal justice reform hope it will also help redress the inequities of a system that has locked up people of color for marijuana offenses at disproportionate rates. The legislation provides protections for cannabis users in the workplace, housing, family court and in schools, colleges and universities, and sets a target of providing half of marijuana licenses to individuals from underrepresented communities.
New York Legalizes Adult-Use Cannabis
After years of debate, sudden and swift action in the legislature makes New York the 17th state to legalize adult-use cannabis.
This is a developing story. We have updated this story to reflect the governor s signing of the bill.
Following quick votes in Senate and Assembly committees Tuesday evening, the New York legislature passed the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act and sent it to Gov. Andrew Cuomo who has signed it into law and made New York the 17th state to legalize adult-use cannabis.
The law will go into effect immediately, as of Cuomo’s signing, but the actual marketplace is expected to take upwards of two years to develop before sales are open to the eligible public.
New York legalizing weed could mean big things for the future of the cannabis industry
New York this week became the latest state to legalize recreational cannabis, and in doing so, it’s poised to become one of the nation’s largest markets.
Another multibillion-dollar business opportunity would be lucrative for cannabis businesses, but industry members and insiders also are viewing the Empire State in a broader light. They think that having a prominent state such as New York enact legalization could ultimately influence cannabis’ future trajectory nationally and potentially help it shed its federally illicit status.
“New York is definitely a catalyst for more states to legalize and open up, as well as federal legalization,” said Ross Lipson, chief executive officer and co-founder of cannabis e-commerce marketplace Dutchie, which recently hauled in a $200 million investment from prominent tech VC firms.