Three years after marijuana extracts became legally available in New York for medicinal purposes, legal recreational use of marijuana appears to be on the fast track.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced it as one of his priorities for the legislative session this winter, and with both houses of the Legislature now controlled by fellow Democrats, New York has a chance to become the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana use by adults.
Four medical marijuana production facilities and three dispensaries — operated by multiple companies — are open now or are under construction in the greater Capital Region. At least one of those companies is eager to expand from therapeutic to recreational products, though the path to expansion would be determined by whatever legislation is passed.