Part of Governor Andrew Cuomo's latest budget proposal includes requesting funding for a recreational marijuana study.

With New York quickly being surrounded by states legalizing the drug, Cuomo wants the Department of Health to look at the impact those surrounding states would have on New Yorkers and look at the impact on the roads, health and criminal justice system.

The exact parameters of the study have not been determined. Assemblyman John McDonald, a pharmacist and advocate for medical marijuana, was surprised by the announcement.

"I think it's appropriate and right to study all the components," McDonald said. "Don't just look at it as an opportunity to raise revenue from a tax perspective; look at the impacts on society both now and long-term."

The funding and approval for the study would have to be passed by the legislature.