Coronavirus Is Killing Weed Legalization Bills Across the US
marijuana legalization bills that had excellent chances at becoming law are instead getting shelved
You’d think states would rush to approve cannabis reform measures right now, but instead, it’s politics as usual in the so-called Land of the Free.
State lawmakers across the US are suspending their legislative sessions for weeks or months to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, even as progressive states deem marijuana businesses as “essential services” alongside emergency responders and pharmacies amid the pandemic. Cannabis reform bills aren’t being singled out for delays, but rather they are no longer prioritized as states attempt to control the coronavirus crisis that threatens the lives of millions of at-risk individuals and the nation’s economy.
Last week, New York State’s chances of making progress on its recreational legalization bill stalled as legislators scrambled to restructure the state’s budget to address coronavirus containment, diagnosis, and treatment. Of all US states, New York has reported the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases at 20,875 and counting.
“I don’t believe marijuana is going to be negotiated in this budget in the next few days,” Senator Liz Krueger (D), who also serves as New York’s Senate Finance Committee Chair, said to WMHT. “I just don’t see it as realistic.”
New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo insisted he would push for weed legalization in the Empire State despite the pandemic, but that may change now.
Read the full article at MerryJane
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