ALBANY — After cannabis legalization fell out of the April budget talks, lawmakers are looking to further expand the state's medical marijuana program and authorize recreational use of the drug before the end of session.
New legislation more closely mirroring Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's budget proposal on the measure will be introduced in the coming days, according to Buffalo Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes, the long-time sponsor of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act.
The revamped bill will include having one regulatory body oversee medical marijuana, hemp extracts and commercial cannabis. It would also preserve the core principles of MRTA, such as "significant dedicated investment in communities most harmed by marijuana prohibition" and "addressing past criminal convictions," she said in a statement.
