Hochul says cannabis rollout was a ‘disaster’ but fixing it is unlikely

Gov. Kathy Hochul has made no secret of her unhappiness with New York State’s rollout of the legalization of cannabis.

And that unhappiness is growing.

“It’s a disaster,” the governor told The Buffalo News editorial board last week. “I will not defend that for one second.”

Hochul, who inherited New York’s marijuana legalization act when she became governor in August 2021, has no issue with the policy itself. “I’m glad we stopped the mass incarceration of young people for consumption,” she said. “It’s the right policy.”

But nearly three years after the law was passed and signed in March 2021, she said she has deep concerns about the implementation.

In a lengthy and detailed response to a question from The News’ editorial board, Hochul – who typically maintains an even tone when discussing policy – slapped her hand on the table when calling the rollout a “disaster,” and added, “You have to go back to the very beginning. Prior to my time (as governor), the legislation was crafted in a way that was not poised for success.”

New York’s Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act legalized the use of marijuana for adults ages 21 and up, and also led to the removal or expunging of nearly 400,000 cannabis-related arrests and convictions. Although research has shown that white people use cannabis as much or more than people of color, the vast majority of arrests were of Black and brown people.

“This legislation was important to do from an equitable perspective,” Assembly Majority Crystal Peoples-Stokes said in a conversation last September with The News’ editorial board. Peoples-Stokes, who like Hochul is a Buffalo Democrat, sponsored the legislation.

“It didn’t start with an equity intent,” Peoples-Stokes said. “It wasn’t intended to be equitable; it was intended to provide an opportunity for a new market in America to come from below ground to above ground.”

The…