New York state lawmakers have finally reached an agreement to legalize cannabis sales to adults over the age of 21. The final bill would pave the way for retail sales to begin as early as 2022 .Lawmakers have come close to approving legalization several times in recent years , but have been unable to reach an agreement. Since 2012, 15 states have legalized cannabis for adult use. New York’s neighbor, New Jersey , officially legalized it last month.
The New York Times reported some details of the bill to understand what is allowed and what is not, home cultivation is allowed , with a limit of six plants per household, as well as home delivery . Social consumption places would be allowed, it also provides for the creation of a five-member cannabis control board to oversee and regulate the industry, the elimination of fines of up to three ounces (about 90 grams), the automatic expungement of previous cannabis convictions and the establishment of a 13% excise tax on cannabis on adult-use products.
The fight for tax revenue appears to have been won by lawmakers who have pushed for that money to go back to the communities most harmed by the war on drugs, in contrast to Gov. Andrew Cuomo , who has pushed for his office to control tax revenue. Cuomo’s office has estimated that once a fully-fledged legal cannabis industry is established, it could bring in about $ 350 million a year to the state.
