Kaminsky speaks to AP about the legalization of recreational marijuana

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Efforts to legalize marijuana for recreational use in New York are gaining steam, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo predicts a bill will pass this year. But don’t expect to see pot shops opening up from Brooklyn to Buffalo anytime soon.

While there’s broad agreement on the idea of legalization, there’s no consensus on a long list of details that must be figured out first.

Taxes and regulations must be approved. Rules for licensing retailers must be written. A new government entity may have to be created. Local governments will have to be brought in. Even after a bill passes, it could take a year or more for any pot shops to open, based on what’s happened in other states and New York’s own experience with medical marijuana.....

“.........New York has the benefit of not being the first to do this,” said Sen. Todd Kaminsky, a Long Island Democrat. “There’s a lot to learn from the rest of the country.”

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