New York lawmakers are said to have reached an agreement to legalize recreational marijuana in the state.
According to Bloomberg, the state is prepared to legalize recreational use of marijuana for people 21 and older.
The agreement would include a 13% sales tax and provide dispensaries with licenses.
Nine percent of the 13% of the marijuana tax would go to the state, Bloomberg notes, while the remaining 4% would go to local governments. The New York governor’s office estimates that a legal cannabis program in the state could generate about $ 350 million a year, he added.
“It is my understanding that the triple agreement has been reached and that the drafting of the bill is in the process of finalizing a bill that we all said we support,” said Senate Finance Committee chairman Liz Krueger (D) to the means of communication.
Krueger added that he expects lawmakers to vote on the measure as early as next week.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
Andrew CuomoSchumer will recommend three black lawyers to head the US attorney’s offices in NY The New York State Assembly speaker tests positive for COVID-19 governor races to test the response of COVID-19, influenced by Trump MORE (D) said on Wednesday that a deal on marijuana legalization was close to being made, Bloomberg notes, adding that it is one of his budget priorities.
In February, Virginia lawmakers passed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana, although the legalization would not take effect until 2024. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam (D) has not yet signed the bill, with state lawmakers hoping it will return it with amendments that would speed up the implementation of the bill.