Update 2/25/15: The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act has been reintroduced by Sen. Liz Krueger and submitted to the state's Committee on Finance Jan. 14, 2015, where it will need to pass before it can move to a full vote.
Editor's Note: New York is moving fast, after moving slow. It just legalized medical marijuana this summer–one of the later states to do so, though it was criticized for limitations placed on to the original bill. (To date, 23 states plus D.C. have legalized MMJ.) Now the Empire State is going to be faced with a Legislative vote next year to legalize recreational MJ. Gov. Cuomo, for one, has spoken out against legalizing the sale of recreational MJ, though. I don't see the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act passing this time around (again), but it keeps the issue front and center–and you never know. With Colorado and Washington now on the record as successful examples of legalization, it will be easier for other states (and politicians) to follow suit. Do you think this will pass in N.Y.?
The state of New York could legalize marijuana for recreational use as early as 2015.
State Sen. Liz Krueger (D) will reintroduce the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act during the next legislative session, which begins in January, her office confirmed to The Huffington Post on Monday.
"We're definitely introducing the bill next session," Brad Usher, Krueger's chief of staff, told HuffPost. "We've received a variety of feedback since we first introduced it last December and we're working on amending it, so we're looking to see what we can learn from Colorado and Washington when we reintroduce it."
