A marijuana industry group sent letters to seven governors in the Northeast on Thursday, imploring them to push for cannabis legalization to aid in economic recovery amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The National Association of Cannabis Businesses (NACB) said a regionally coordinated legalization strategy would help generate much-needed tax revenue from legal marijuana sales.
“Governors in the northeastern U.S. have been working tirelessly and effectively to contain the coronavirus crisis, and the NACB has great respect for their efforts,” Mark Gorman, NACB executive vice president, said in a press release. “We are also enthusiastic for their leadership of efforts to coordinate the resources and strategies needed to emerge from the lockdown.”
“Legalizing cannabis sales and encouraging retailers to be proactive with strategies like home delivery and curbside pickup is not only a safe way to serve consumers, it will also generate millions of dollars in desperately needed tax revenues for their states,” he said.
The letters were sent to the governors of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.