Democrats in the state Legislature are “really, really close” to an agreement that would legalize adult-use cannabis products and allow New Yorkers to grow a limited number of marijuana plants in their homes, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins on Tuesday said.
An “impasse” as described by Stewart-Cousins last week over traffic safety concerns and impaired driving has been resolved, she said.
The bill has stumbled in the past before reaching the finishing line over the last two years in Albany under full Democratic control of the state Senate and Assembly.
Opposition to the proposal has once again been rasied by law enforcement groups, including the state district attorneys’ association, as well as the state sheriff’s association. Construction and business groups in the last week have also raised concerns with the impact of impaired people working at job sites.
Still, lawmakers hope to build some momentum in the coming days to pass the measure prior to the full approval of the state budget, which is due by the middle of next week.
