Legalizing marijuana in New York won’t happen in final days of legislative session

Legalizing marijuana in New York will have to wait until next year.

Lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo are set to end the legislation session in the next day or two without an agreement to make New York the 11th state to allow marijuana sales and possession.

Supporters scrambled this week to put together legislation that would satisfy undecided legislators, but it appears the concerns were too great to reach consensus.

“Everyone who was opposed to it had a different reason,” Sen. Diane Savino, D-Staten Island, said Wednesday. 

“The two sponsors did everything possible to appease the concerns of members, and I’m sure they are going to continue to try to, but with each passing moment it gets harder and harder.”

The legislative session was originally scheduled to end Wednesday, but could extend further into the week.

Before the session ends, lawmakers will now look to other issues to address marijuana use.

Some want bills to be passed that would expand the state’s medical marijuana program and broaden rules to allow hemp to be grown for commercial use, as well as decriminalizing possession. [Read more at Rochester Democrat & Chronicle]