Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, in an interview Friday on WXXI Radio, cast doubt on the future of legalized marijuana in New York.
The governor says he does not believe the votes are there in the legislature to pass a plan to allow legal cannabis for adults in New York. And he says he will not “twist arms” to convince lawmakers to vote for the proposal.
“I support it,” Cuomo said. “But if they are starting to suggest that I need to twist arms, then that’s bad sign. Because arm twisting doesn’t work. And it means they don’t have the political support.”
Cuomo acknowledges he did use his political capital to convince key lawmakers to vote for gay marriage in 2011, and he used his influence to achieve gun control measures in 2013. But he says he does not believe it will work in this instance.
The governor says he “fought” to keep the proposal in the state budget, which might have made it easier politically for lawmakers on the fence on legalizing marijuana to vote “yes.” But he says the legislature did not agree with that tactic.
A spokesman for the State Senate, Gary Ginsberg, says talks about the proposal are ongoing.
