Push to legalize recreational pot fails in New York

By DAVID KLEPPER and RYAN TARINELLI
June 19, 2019

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A push to legalize recreational marijuana in New York has failed after state leaders did not reach a consensus on several key details in the final days of the legislative session.

Sen. Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat and the lead sponsor of the main legalization bill in her chamber, confirmed Wednesday that her legislation would not pass this year.

“Through months of negotiation and conversation ... we made great strides,” she said in a statement. “We came very close to crossing the finish line, but we ran out of time.”

Despite broad support for legalization and polls showing its statewide popularity, lawmakers couldn’t agree on the many details of legalization, such as how tax revenue should be spent, whether past pot convictions should be expunged, and whether local communities could opt out of hosting dispensaries or instead would have to opt in.

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