ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Gov. Andrew Cuomo is pushing for marijuana to be legalized in New York State which he says could bring in more than 300 million dollars in tax revenue.

What You Need To Know

  • Legalization of marijuana could bring in $300 million in tax revenue for the state

  • Columbia Care believes recreational marijuana could help them expand, boost the economy and create more jobs in Rochester

  • If recreational marijuana is legalized in New York, it would join 15 other states across the country

“This will raise revenue and end the over-criminalization of this product that has left so many communities of color over-policed and over incarcerated,” said Gov. Cuomo.

“It’s a great opportunity for New Yorkers from all over, so certainly we strongly support a large segment of this future to be made up by those that have been disproportionately impacted by the failed prohibition on cannabis, and there’s a lot to do there and lucky for us we get to look at how other states have done this before hopefully make it evermore successful," said Adam Goers, vice president of corporate affairs for New York-based Columbia Care.

In addition to addressing communities impacted by the criminalization of marijuana, Goers believes legalization could be a game-changer for Rochester and the state.

“The governor and the legislature passing adult-use means that Columbia Care is going to be able to expand its footprint, increase good-paying jobs with great benefits and be able to expand in the Kodak plant and other places throughout the state,” said Goers.

The company currently has a medical marijuana dispensary and manufacturing and cultivating facility at the Eastman Business Park in Rochester.

Currently, people must talk to their physician first to see if they have a qualifying medical condition and obtain a New York medical marijuana card.

If recreational marijuana is legalized, the company could expand its manufacturing operations and provide marijuana at the retail level.

“Well, those customers are going to get access to really experienced clinicians and are pharmacists in our facilities, they could come in and ask a question about cannabis product no matter if they’re looking to use it for a medical, health and wellness, or a recreational purpose. So we think that leads to good outcomes for citizens in New York,” said Goers.

Goers believes legalization would create several new business ventures that would support the cannabis industry.

“We envision a future state and ecosystem of sorts where a whole variety of businesses are going to be created, whether it's Columbia Care cultivating and processing, in many cases dispensing, but many new licensees will be doing transportation,” said Goers. “That may be doing ancillary type of business operations for us, and a whole bunch of new opportunities for folks who want to cultivate cannabis, as well as to dispense. So I think that we can be really optimistic about what can happen when the legislature and the governor get this passed.”

If New York legalizes recreational marijuana, it would join 15 other states across the country that have also done so.