With New Jersey about to become the ninth state to legalize recreational marijuana, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo looks to be changing his tune on the pot issue. The Governor was asked about legalizing marijuana while appearing at a Brooklyn ceremony celebrating new subway equipment.
"The facts have changed," said the Governor. "Massachusetts has legalized it. It may be legal in New Jersey, do you not legalize it when it's legal ten miles from both sides of your border." The Governor also noted that recreational marijuana is legal in Washington D.C. "Which means for all intents and purposes it's going to be here anyway."
Actress Cynthia Nixon who announced her plans to run against Cuomo came out in favor of legalizing weed last week during an appearance on the Wendy Williams show. Ms. Nixon said, "There are a lot of good reasons for legalizing marijuana, but for me, it comes down to this: We have to stop putting people of color in jail for something that white people do with impunity."
Cuomo appointed a commission earlier this year to study the pros and cons of New York following other states in legalizing recreational marijuana. Cuomo said, "The situation has changed dramatically with marijuana." "We now have states that have legalized marijuana, let's look at the facts and see what happened there."
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