Maybe all of this will disappear in a puff of smoke? Maybe folks will be too stoned to remember the multiple investigations he’s under? That must be what New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was thinking as he signed the legalization of recreational marijuana into law today in Albany. Cuomo’s signature on the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act makes New York the 17th State to legalize the drug in spite of it’s continued status as a Schedule 1 Narcotic according to Federal law and only the fourth to legalize its recreational use.
“This is a historic day in New York — one that rights the wrongs of the past by putting an end to harsh prison sentences, embraces an industry that will grow the Empire State’s economy, and prioritizes marginalized communities so those that have suffered the most will be the first to reap the benefits,”
Cuomo wrote in a statement sent after he signed the bill with little fanfare. He’s still laying low.
Politico reports that “New Yorkers aged 21 and older can now legally possess and consume cannabis. Dispensaries are not expected to open in New York until at least 2022 under the new regulatory and licensing structure.”
Does Cuomo Think This Will Earn Him Some Grace?
If he does, he’s definitely fooling himself. With 15,000 New York Senior Citizens dead due to the decisions he made to force COVID+ patients back into nursing homes and an investigation still unfolding, plus the rapidly piling-up accusations ranging from sexual harassment to outright sexual assault Cuomo’s outlook is mighty bleak. According to reports his office is also trying to tie ‘racial equity’ into this move with 40 percent of tax revenue from cannabis to be steered to minority communities that had disproportionate numbers of marijuana arrests.
“Unlike any other state in America, this legislation is intentional about equity,” Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes, the Democratic majority leader in the Assembly who sponsored the bill, said on the floor of the lower chamber. “Equity is not a second thought, it’s the first one, and it needs to be, because the people who paid the price for this war on drugs have lost so much.”
As publishing losses on Cuomo’s premature and self-congratulatory book spiral toward $4 million and are referred to as a “publishing industry disaster” and more and more Democratic leaders both within his own state and at the national level call for his resignation the stress must be getting to him. He needs some good news. He’s desperate for it.
The New York Times reported,
“This year, however, Mr. Cuomo’s leverage dwindled as numerous members of his party called on him to resign following multiple sexual harassment allegations. Lawmakers and lobbyists were surprised by the number of concessions that Mr. Cuomo, not known for easily compromising, made in order to secure a policy win amid a worsening political crisis, pushing the bill over the finish line.”
You could almost pity him, if you could ignore the gallons of blood dripping from his hands which he reportedly groped a top aide of his with recently. Nope. Never mind. Can’t pity him.
Any Chance This Could Lead to More Marijuana Legalization?
Maybe, but not any time soon. In spite of growing momentum at the state level, Biden-Harris regime Press Secretary Jen Psaki informed the press that while Biden supports “decriminalization” his policy on marijuana use is otherwise “has not changed” suggesting he would not support legalization of recreational or medicinal use at the federal level. This comes as little surprise after the administration has reportedly fired at least five and sidelined potentially dozens of White House staffers for past use.
It seems as though Gov. Cuomo and his party leadership at all levels, are no longer on the same page.
As a result, more people will serve who would not have in the past with the same level of recent drug use. The bottom line is this: of the hundreds of people hired, only five people who had started working at the White House are no longer employed as a result of this policy.
— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) March 19, 2021
