With support from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and many members of the state legislature, 2020 could be the year when New York legalizes the adult use of recreational marijuana.
But the issue has become complicated by a widespread lung ailment linked to vaping.
A measure to legalize cannabis for adults was proposed in 2019, as part of the state budget. It did not make it into the final spending plan, and it failed to win enough support to pass as a standalone bill in the state Senate.
Legislators did decriminalize possession of marijuana, from a misdemeanor to a fine, although people can still be arrested for having the drug on them.
This fall, Cuomo took some steps to further the goal of legalizing marijuana in New York in 2020.
In October, he held a summit with governors of the neighboring states of Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, to come up with a multi-state approach to legalization.
"I believe the people of this state and our surrounding states have a desire to do it," Cuomo said. "But the old expression, 'the devil is in the details.' How you do this is all the difference. It can be a positive if done right; it can be a negative if it's not done correctly."