The green wave of legalizing adult-use cannabis may be reaching east coast states sooner than expected. In 2019 New York may join its neighboring states in ending cannabis prohibition.

On Jan. 15, in his state of the state address, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed a plan to legalize cannabis for adult-use. In a change of opinion from 2017, Cuomo now believes the benefits of legalization outweigh the costs. Coincidentally, New Jersey Governor, Phil Murphy re-affirmed his commitment to a similar plan in his State of the State address also on Jan. 15.