Politics
Marijuana Legalization ‘Not Likely’ In New York Budget, Governor Says On Eve Of Deadline

Marijuana legalization is “not likely” to be included in the final budget in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said on Tuesday, explaining that the issue proved too complicated as the state grapples with the coronavirus.
Another sign that the policy change isn’t happening as Cuomo and advocates had planned comes from a pair of newly revised budget bills that exclude the proposal, making it all but certain that legalization won’t make the final cut.
“Too much, too little time,” the governor said of the proposal during a press conference.
Watch Cuomo’s cannabis comments in the video below:
Later in the day, Cuomo expanded on why legal cannabis likely would be left out of the budget in a radio interview.
“We’re not going to get there. I don’t believe we get there because in truth that is something that had to be talked through and worked through, and the legislature wasn’t here. I was doing this COVID virus,” he told WAMC’s Alan Chartock. “That requires time to do it right.”
“That is not a yes/no. That’s a, how does it work. How about the police? How many licenses? Who gives out the licenses? How do you do minority empowerment? How do we coordinate with Connecticut and New Jersey?” he said. “And no one has really had the time to work those things through. So I don’t think we get there on that.”
Listen to Cuomo’s marijuana comments, about 22:45 into the audio below:
Wednesday is the deadline to deliver a budget, and so the identical Senate and Assembly spending bills that were freshly amended on Tuesday are unlikely to substantially change before they get a vote and sent to the governor’s desk. A provision in Cuomo’s original proposal that would implement an adult-use cannabis market was “intentionally omitted,” text of the legislation states. That phrase is used repeatedly throughout the legislation for policies that missed the cut.
That’s not to say that there’s no appetite for the reform move within the legislature. It was expected to make it into the budget, but the coronavirus outbreak shifted legislative priorities and legalization evidently proved too complicated an issue to work out ahead of the deadline. Top lawmakers have said there’s no reason that they can’t develop a comprehensive reform plan outside of the budget.
However, Cuomo said earlier this month that his preference would be to address legalization through the budget because, outside of that process, “the easiest thing for a legislative body to do is to do nothing.”
The release of the budget bills seems to confirm details included on a draft budget report that was shared with Marijuana Moment on Monday. It similarly said that the “Adopted Budget omits the Executive proposal to legalize adult use cannabis.”
A revised standalone legalization bill was recently introduced in the Senate, and advocates hoped the language would be inserted into the budget, but that didn’t pan out. However, it’s possible that legislators could still take it up separately after the budget is handled. That said, it remains to be seen when the legislature, which has scaled down other activity amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, will be able to tackle the issue.
A spokesperson for the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Liz Krueger (D), told Marijuana Moment on Monday that “nothing is done until it is done, but the Senator has said previously that the Governor’s staff essentially took marijuana off the table weeks ago” in budget talks.
The senator still believes that “if it can’t get done the right way in the budget right in the middle of overlapping public health and fiscal crises, that there is no reason it can’t get done right later.”
Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes (D), who has also sponsored a legalization bill, told Politico that “I wish that it was [included in the budget], but I donât believe that it is.”
Marijuana Moment reached out to Senate and Assembly leadership for comment about the budget bills, but representatives were not immediately available.
âWhile legalizing cannabis is necessary to reduce the decades of unjust, racist targeting of communities of color in New York, our state faces a public health crisis right now and efforts to contain COVID-19 demand legislators’ full attention,” Kassandra Frederique or the Drug Policy Alliance said. “We remain committed to seeing legalization passed in New York at a time when critical components of equity and community reinvestment can be thoroughly addressed.”
“The regulation of marijuana in our state must be centered in economic and racial justice now more than ever, because we know the same communities targeted by drug enforcement are the ones with the least access to healthcare right now, the ones grappling with decades of the economic toll from criminalization, with low wages, unstable housing, and the ones losing jobs and loved ones at the same time,” she added. “The creation of a diversified and equitable industry that supports New York-based small businesses and farmers will be imperative coming out of this crisis. When the dust settles and New York has survived this pandemic, these communities that are on the frontlines of this crisisâin addition to the legacy of harmful enforcementâmust be the center of our rebuilding effort.â
Prohibitionist group Smart Approaches To Marijuana celebrated reports that legalization would not be included in the budget, stating that “the consideration of marijuana legalization and commercialization during this outbreak is unconscionable and extremely shortsighted.”
đšđšđšBREAKING đšđšđš
Today it was reported that efforts to legalize marijuana through the budget process in New York have failed.
This is a tremendous victory for public health and safety.
Our statement: pic.twitter.com/yVr9rlAr8g— SAM (@learnaboutsam) March 31, 2020
Cuomo also originally planned to tour legal cannabis states to learn from their experiences and take lessons back home, but that plan was also derailed due to the coronavirus.
The governor pitched legalization in his budget proposal last year as well. But following months of negotiation, the legislature failed to produce a passable billâwith disagreements centering on issues such as how tax revenue would be allocatedâand so the effort carried over to this year.
Cuomo seemed optimistic that 2020 would be the year for legal cannabis in New York, and he touted the proposal in his State of the State address in January. Just last week, he indicated the effort was still alive, though he also recognized that it may prove too complicated an issue to ultimately deliver through the budget this round.
Meanwhile, drug policy reform efforts across the country are struggling amid the pandemic.
Activists in California recently released a video asking California officials to allow digital signatures for a petition to revise the stateâs adult-use marijuana program. In Washington, D.C., advocates for a measure to decriminalize psychedelics similarly wrote to the mayor and local lawmakers, imploring them to accept online signatures for their ballot petition.
Another California campaign to legalize psilocybin mushrooms is struggling and asking for electronic signature gathering to qualify for the ballot. An effort to legalize medical cannabis in Nebraska is facing similar signature gathering challenges. A campaign to legalize cannabis in Missouri is also in jeopardy.
In Oregon, advocates for a measure to decriminalize drug possession and a separate initiative to legalize psilocybin for therapeutic purposes have suspended in-person campaign events amid the pandemic.
Arizona activists shared some more positive news last week, however, announcing that they have collected more than enough signatures to qualify for the stateâs November ballotâthough they have not yet been submitted to or verified by the state.
Coronavirus Upends Marijuana, Psychedelics And Drug Reform Ballot Measures
This story was updated to include reaction from Drug Policy Alliance and additional comments from Cuomo.
Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
Politics
Bill To Allow Medical Marijuana Use At Hotels And Airbnbs Filed In Missouri

Hotels, Airbnbs and other lodging facilities in Missouri would be allowed to let medical marijuana patients consume cannabis on their properties under a recently filed bill.
The legislation, titled the “Reduction of Illegal Public Consumption by Allowing for Compassionate Access to Medical Marijuana Act,” would require the state Department of Health and Senior Services to create a new “medical marijuana lodging establishment” license for the facilities. They would have to submit an application and a $50 fee to the agency in order to obtain the new approval.
Once licensed, lodging facilities would have to follow certain rules such as confirming that guests are registered medical cannabis patients, posting signage that says marijuana can be consumed on the property and ensuring that consumption areas are at least 25 feet away from sections where its prohibited.
Places that knowingly permit cannabis to be used without a license would be subject to a $1,000 fine for a first offense, $2,000 for a second, $5,000 for a third and the suspension of their business license for a fourth.
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Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 400 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.
Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
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Theoretically, if this bill is approved, it could promote tourism in the state, as it specifically allows hotels and other facilities to accept out-of-state medical cannabis certifications for guests.
There’s a similar policy on the books in Colorado, where a bill providing for social consumption site licenses was signed last year.
In a new related study, researchers took a look at the prevalence of Airbnbs allowing marijuana consumptions in Denver and found that it’s surprisingly commonâmuch more so than for tobacco use.
“A substantial number of Airbnb listings in Denver, Colorado permit cannabis use and venues permitting cannabis use may be more likely to also permit tobacco smoking,” the abstract says.
About one-in-four facilities included details about their marijuana policy in the listing, and 76 percent of those permitted cannabis use while 31 percent let guests use tobacco.
The focus of the study, published this month in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, was to analyze indoor clear air issues related to marijuana at Airbnbs. It concluded that the facilities should “consider including cannabis use in house rules in jurisdictions that have legalized cannabis to help guests identify spaces with clean air.”
Missouri’s marijuana laws might not be as progressive as Colorado’s, but a Republican lawmaker did file a joint resolution last month that calls for adult-use legalization to be placed before voters on the 2022 ballot.
Washington Lawmakers Approve Marijuana Homegrow Bill In Committee
Photo courtesy of Martin Alonso.
Politics
Washington Lawmakers Approve Marijuana Homegrow Bill In Committee

A bill to allow marijuana homegrow in Washington State cleared its first legislative hurdle Friday morning, passing out of the House Commerce and Gaming Committee on a 7â2 vote with a âdo passâ recommendation.
Washington voters approved a cannabis legalization initiative in 2012, and retail sales have been ongoing since mid-2014. Cultivating the plant for personal use, however, remains a felony.
âWashington was one of the first states to legalize, with understandable trepidation,â Rep. Shelley Kloba (D), the lead sponsor of HB 1019 and the chair of the House committee, said at Fridayâs meeting. Homegrow, she said, âis one area where weâve taken a more cautious approach and let other states test the waters.â
Of all other states that have begun legal cannabis sales in the years since Washington legalized, only oneâIllinoisâhas outlawed homegrow. But in Illinois, advocates in Washington have pointed out, the offense is a civil infraction rather than felony crime.
Washingtonâs homegrow bill would allow adults to cultivate up to six cannabis plants at home and keep the marijuana those plants produce. Plants and containers of more than one ounce of cannabis would need to be labeled with the adultâs name, birthdate and address. Households with multiple adults could grow no more than 15 total plants.
While adults could give small amounts of homegrown cannabis to one another, unlicensed sales would remain illegal.
Plants would also need to be out of public view and unable to be âreadily smelledâ outside of the property. Growers who violate those limits would be subject to a civil infraction that carries a maximum $50 fine. Landlords, meanwhile, could decide whether or not to allow rental tenants to grow cannabis on the property.
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Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 400 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.
Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
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The limits on plants being seen or readily smelled by the public, Kloba said, âprotects both the grower and the neighborsâ by avoiding both possible theft of plantsâa concern some have raised about homegrowâas well as nuisance odor from nearby properties.
Opponents of the bill, including the Washington Association of Police Chiefs and Sheriffs, have complained the homegrow limits would be difficult to enforce. A representative of the group noted at a hearing last week that the bill would prevent police from entering a property unless they first obtained a warrant.
Rep. Eric Robertson (R), one of two lawmakers who voted against the bill Friday, said he was concerned that HB 1019 leaves enforcement to police agencies rather than the state Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB), which regulates licensed cannabis businesses in the state. He described that provision as a âfatal flaw in the bill because there wonât be any reasonable or informed way to investigate this stuff without a huge impact to our cities.â
Kloba replied that LCB has authority over the stateâs commercial cannabis system, âand this is clearly outside of it.â
The bill has support from numerous advocacy groups, including state and local drug reform advocates and the Washington Build Back Black Alliance (WBBBA), a group of nonprofit and business leaders lobbying on behalf of the stateâs Black communities.
In a letter to lawmakers sent this week, Paula Sardinas of WBBBA noted that 97 percent of the stateâs legal cannabis industry remains white-owned. âAssuming an expansion into homegrown would produce more [illicit] activity represents both systematic prejudice and implicit bias,â Sardinas wrote. âThis very good bill meets the basic tests of both equity and equality.â
Lawmakers made a single amendment to HB 1019 on Friday before advancing the bill, adding changes meant to harmonize the stateâs existing civil forfeiture law with the billâs proposed homegrow limits. Existing law, for example, allows forfeitures when someone engaged in illegal commercial cannabis activity possesses five or more marijuana plants. The amendment raises that cap to 16 plants and slightly increases the amount of harvested cannabis a person can possess.
Kloba said the amendment, which the committee adopted Friday without objection, is meant âso that we donât inadvertently allow people to do homegrow and then they get in trouble for doing so.â
Homegrow also won a small victory in Virginia on Friday as a state Senate committee voted to advance a bill to legalize marijuana in that state. Before approving the bill, lawmakers defeated a proposed amendment that would have outlawed home cultivation.
Jenn Michelle Pedini, executive director of Virginia NORML, told Marijuana Moment the group âis pleased that cooler heads prevailed, defeating an absurd motion to remove personal cultivation from the bill.â
Meanwhile, in Washington, the House Commerce and Gaming committee also heard testimony Friday on a separate bill, HB 1210, that would update state law to replace references to âmarijuanaâ with the word âcannabis.â
âThe word âmarijuanaâ is a reminder of the history of racism and persecution,â argued the billâs lead sponsor, Rep. Melanie Morgan (D), while âcannabisâ comes from the plantâs scientific name. âI ask for this committeeâs support in removing the racist stigma from communities of color.â
Chris Thompson, director of legislative relations for LCB, said the regulatory agency supports the legislation but would like to see a âfriendly amendmentâ that would direct regulators to make the change on their side, too. Such direction would allow LCB to expedite agency rulemaking.
âIf you were to make a very long bill just maybe one paragraph longer and direct our agency to do that with our rules,” Thompson told lawmakers, “then that would help us make this change across the board in one fell swoop.â
Illinois Awards $31.5 Million In Marijuana-Funded Grants To Repair Communities Harmed By Drug War
Politics
Arizona Begins Recreational Marijuana Sales, Just Weeks After Voters Approve Legalization

Arizona marijuana sales for the adult-use market officially began on Friday after state officials began notifying retail business license applicants that they’d been approved.
The launch comes just weeks after voters in the state overwhelmingly passed a cannabis legalization initiative during November’s election. This marks the fastest transition from voter-approval to sales implementation of any state that has legalized marijuana to date.
Under the measure, regulators were required to quickly develop rules for the market. Industry stakeholders say they’ve had productive conversations with the Department of Health Services to create those guidelines over the past few weeks.
The department released two draft versions of its proposed regulations and then, earlier this month, began accepting applications for recreational business licenses. This first round of approvals is for existing medical cannabis dispensaries that have already gone through the state’s prior licensing process.
“ADHS has received 79 applications since the application period began early Wednesday,” the department said in a press release on Friday. “Six of those applications remain under review,” meaning that 73 facilities can now begin adult-use cannabis sales. The full list of those stores is at the bottom of this story.
NOW: Line goes around the building at @HarvestHOC in Scottsdale, one of 73 facilities in AZ w/ recreational marijuana sales license. #fox10phoenix pic.twitter.com/ym9waon5Oc
— Justin Lum (@jlumfox10) January 22, 2021
Those who aren’t currently operating a medical marijuana shops can still apply for an adult-use license during this first round if they plan to operate in a county with two or fewer existing dispensaries. Applications for those who aren’t eligible in this phase will be open soon and are expected to be approved starting in the spring.
Samuel Richard, executive director of the Arizona Dispensaries Association, told Marijuana Moment that the “dedicated focus and professionalism of our regulators have really played out here in an incredible way.”
“We had overwhelming support in Novemberâa three to two margin, 60-40 percent. We got over the finish line,” he said. “It’s great to see that our regulators responded to that overwhelming support by working as fast as they can to get the infrastructure in place to allow the two million Arizonans that voted ‘yes’ for Prop 207 to start to enjoy the benefits of legal, adult-use cannabis.”
Recreational marijuana sales are now legal in Arizona. Here is the scene at Harvest in Scottsdale that started selling recreational at around noon today. pic.twitter.com/20RW76nzij
— David Wallace (@DavidWallce) January 22, 2021
Legalization advocates are cheering the state for its expediency in getting the recreational marijuana market off the ground.
Matthew Schweich, deputy director at the Marijuana Policy Project, told Marijuana Moment that it is “encouraging to see Arizona move forward with implementation of the legalization policy approved by voters in November.”
“By avoiding unnecessary delays, Arizona will accelerate the timeline for job creation, business investment, and new tax revenue,” he said.
“I commend state officials for prioritizing the implementation of Prop. 207 and ensuring that Arizona adults have safe and convenient access to affordable marijuana in a timely manner,” NORML State Policies Coordinator Carly Wolf, told Marijuana Moment. “Voters were crystal clear on their mandate at the ballot box: end the failed policy of criminalization and replace it with a legal pragmatic regulatory framework as soon as possible.”
“Itâs time to stop ceding control and revenue of the marijuana market to unregulated and untaxed enterprises in order to eliminate the risks associated with an illicit market,” she said.
The rules for the adult-use market took effect on January 15. They cover licensing fees, the timeline for approvals, the structure of the regulatory body, product labeling, public safety protocols and more. Many of the changes from prior draft regulations were technical, but there was one notable change concerning credentialing for cannabis workers.
Rather than being credentialed for one specific facility, the worker registration was expanded so that they could be certified to be employed at any cannabis operation in the industry.
While these rules are in place for the newly approved retailers, Richard said regulators have made clear their intent to continue to work with stakeholders and continue to build upon their rules to ensure the market’s success.
RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA-
A line for has already formed here at @HarvestHOC on Grant. They were approved for a recreational license today by AZDHS and have already started selling. @KOLDNews pic.twitter.com/jZMuGiP1Jg— Karly Tinsley (@ktinsleynews) January 22, 2021
Under the stateâs new legalization law, adults will be able to possess up to an ounce of marijuana at a time and cultivate up to six plants for personal use.
The measure also contains several provisions aimed at addressing the harms of prohibition such as allowing individuals with prior marijuana convictions to petition the courts for expungements and establishing a social equity ownership program.
Cannabis sales will be taxed at 16 percent. Tax revenue will cover implementation costs and then be divided among funds for community colleges, infrastructure, a justice reinvestment and public services such as police and firefighters.
That revenue could also help the Arizona’s economic recovery amid the coronavirus pandemic, Richard said.
“At the time where folks are still struggling to recover across the country in terms of state budgets, we look forward to being a critical piece” of that recovery, he said.
Arizona’s quick response to voter approval of the reform initiative stands in stark contrast to New Jersey, where voters also approved a legalization referendum in November.
While regulations have been developed and retail sales are launching in Arizona, enabling legislation has faced numerous delays in New Jersey as lawmakers and the governor continue to hash out differences in their preferred regulatory approach.
That said, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) said during his State of the State address last week that âwe are on the verge of passing an innovative and groundbreaking set of laws to reform our historically unjust approach to marijuana and cannabis.â But the exact timeline to pass an implementation bill is yet to be determined.
See the full list of medical cannabis dispensaries authorized to sell recreational marijuana below:
Facility Legal Name | County | City |
Natural Relief Clinic Inc | Cochise | Bisbee |
Desertview Wellness & Healing Solutions, LLC | Coconino | Flagstaff |
Arizona Natures Wellness | Coconino | Sedona |
Desert Medical Campus | Gila | Payson |
High Desert Healing Llc | Maricopa | Avondale |
Non Profit Patient Center Inc | Maricopa | Cave Creek |
Azgm 3, Inc | Maricopa | Chandler |
Border Health, Inc | Maricopa | Chandler |
Total Health & Wellness Inc | Maricopa | Chandler |
Total Health & Wellness Inc | Maricopa | Chandler |
Arizona Cannabis Society Inc. | Maricopa | El Mirage |
Fort Mountain Consulting, Llc | Maricopa | El Mirage |
Absolute Health Care Inc | Maricopa | Gilbert |
Ocotillo Vista, Inc. | Maricopa | Glendale |
Pahana, Inc. | Maricopa | Glendale |
Pp Wellness Center | Maricopa | Glendale |
Whoa Qc Inc | Maricopa | Glendale |
G.T.L. Llc | Maricopa | Guadalupe |
Nature Med Inc | Maricopa | Guadalupe |
4245 Investments Llc | Maricopa | Mesa |
Arizona Wellness Collective 3, Inc | Maricopa | Mesa |
Buds & Roses, Inc | Maricopa | Mesa |
Jamestown Center | Maricopa | Mesa |
Sea Of Green Llc | Maricopa | Mesa |
The Giving Tree Wellness Center Of Mesa Inc | Maricopa | Mesa |
The Healing Center Farmacy Llc | Maricopa | Mesa |
Valley Healing Group Inc | Maricopa | Mesa |
Vending Logistics Llc | Maricopa | Mesa |
Pinal County Wellness Center | Maricopa | Peoria |
Ad, Llc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
Az Compassionate Care Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
Catalina Hills Botanical Care Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
Devine Desert Healing Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
Fort Consulting, Llc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
Greens Goddess Products, Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
Healing Healthcare 3 Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
Herbal Wellness Center Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
Kwerles Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
Mohave Valley Consulting, Llc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
Natural Herbal Remedies Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
Natural Relief Clinic Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
Nature’s Healing Center Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
Nature’s Healing Center Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
Organica Patient Group Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
Phytotherapeutics Of Tucson | Maricopa | Phoenix |
Rjk Ventures, Inc. | Maricopa | Phoenix |
The Giving Tree Wellness Center Of North Phoenix Inc | Maricopa | Phoenix |
Zonacare | Maricopa | Phoenix |
The Kind Relief Inc | Maricopa | Queen Creek |
Byers Dispensary | Maricopa | Scottsdale |
Csi Solutions Llc | Maricopa | Scottsdale |
Eba Holdings Inc. | Maricopa | Scottsdale |
All Greens Inc | Maricopa | Sun City |
East Valley Patient Wellness Group Inc | Maricopa | Sun City |
Holistic Patient Wellness Group | Maricopa | Tempe |
Salubrious Wellness Clinic Inc | Maricopa | Tempe |
Svaccha, Llc | Maricopa | Tempe |
Kannaboost Technology Inc | Maricopa | Tempe |
K Group Partners Llc | Maricopa | Youngtown |
Sweet 5, Llc | Maricopa | Youngtown |
Verde Dispensary Inc | Mohave | Kingman |
Abedon Saiz Llc | Mohave | Lake Havasu City |
Fwa Inc | Mohave | Lake Havasu City |
Arizona Golden Leaf Wellness, Llc | Pima | Marana |
Medmar Tanque Verde Llc | Pima | Tucson |
Patient Care Center 301, Inc. | Pima | Tucson |
Rainbow Collective Inc | Pima | Tucson |
Nature’s Wonder Inc | Pinal | Apache Junction |
Svaccha, Llc | Pinal | Apache Junction |
Medical Pain Relief Inc | Pinal | Casa Grande |
Sherri Dunn, Llc | Yavapai | Cottonwood |
203 Organix, Llc | Yavapai | Prescott |
Jamestown Center | Yuma | Yuma |
Congressman Files First Federal Marijuana Reform Bill Of 2021