New York, New Jersey take steps toward recreational marijuana sales

NEW YORK -- New York is taking another step forward on the road to selling legal marijuana, and if you live in New Jersey, you'll be able to buy recreational marijuana next week.

States have been moving to legalize marijuana in part because of long-standing racially imbalanced penalties for possession of the drug, but nonetheless, legalizing pot doesn't sit well with everyone.

As CBS2's Dick Brennan reports, recreational pot will soon be coming to New York. The state has licensed 52 suppliers to begin growing product on farms.

"This allows farmers who have participated in the New York state hemp research project to put seeds in the ground, to lead the way with developing cannabis for our New York state market, and they will be providing the product for our sellers and manufacturers later this year," Cannabis Control Board Chair Tremaine Wright said.

That's just the first step. The state still has to license dispensaries to sell pot, and that could take a few more months.

The state says it's also promoting a message of safety surrounding cannabis, including a PSA that says, "If you feel different, you drive different. Drive high, get a DUI."

"If you feel differently, you drive differently, so that's our messaging campaign, and we want to make sure that New Yorkers understand that they should not be driving while impaired by cannabis," Wright said.

Dispensary licenses will be issued later this year, and then those stores can be opened. Cannabis would be available for adult recreational use by the beginning of 2023.

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Meanwhile, New Jersey's initial legal sales will occur at medical marijuana dispensaries for all adults 21 and older one week from Thursday.

Gov. Phil Murphy tweeted, "This is a historic step in our work to create a new cannabis industry."

"Every person in this company has been looking forward to this seminal event," said James Leventis, with Verano New Jersey, which operates two dispensaries in Elizabeth and Lawrence.

The dispensaries will now be selling recreational marijuana to adults.

"You have to provide your ID and you have to be 21 years of age or older," Leventis said. "We're offering our full suite of products in New Jersey. We have flower products. We have prerolls, gummies, RSOs, tinctures, the whole nine yards. We've got everything that you could possibly want."

Euclides Pereira, of Union City, New Jersey, thinks legalizing pot will mean more problems.

"Why they gonna change things now?" he said. "If people can't handle liquor, they're gonna be handling pot? Think about that."

But others say its time has come.

"I think it's fine. I don't see anything wrong with it," Union City resident Dana Pineda said.

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