Cannabis seedlings. (Photo: Mary Esch/AP)

Democrats in the New York State Legislature said Wednesday that the only thing keeping them from legalizing marijuana for adult, recreational use this year is the absence of negotiations between lawmakers and the Cuomo administration.

They said they're waiting on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to be more outspoken about his support for legalizing marijuana and to become actively involved in discussions on legislation to do so in the next two weeks.

A senior adviser to the governor, meanwhile, said in a statement that Cuomo's office met with staff from the State Senate and Assembly as recently as Wednesday morning to discuss issues for the end of this year's legislative session, including marijuana legalization.

“We have had multiple meetings with the houses, including one this morning on legislative bills for the end of session, including cannabis,” Cuomo adviser Richard Azzopardi said. “Members do not attend meetings on legislative proposals, but — as long as we're talking about engagement — we suggest members engage with their staffs.”

Cuomo has said in recent weeks that he hasn't been more active on the issue publicly because lawmakers have previously said they don't have the votes to pass it. He's repeatedly quoted State Sen. Liz Krueger, D-Manhattan, saying as much.

Krueger, who sponsors the bill to legalize marijuana, said on Wednesday that if Cuomo personally initiated some sort of engagement with lawmakers on the measure, then the path to approving the bill this year would be easier.

“If the governor would come back to the table, show that he actually really wants to get things done, stand with the Legislature, saying this is the right thing to do for the state of New York … I could get the votes,” Krueger said.

Lawmakers said two weeks ago that Cuomo's office hasn't been engaged in conversations about legalizing marijuana since March, when the measure was part of negotiations around the state budget. It didn't end up making it into the final spending plan, which was approved by the Legislature at the end of March.

Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, D-Buffalo, who sponsors the bill with Krueger, said talks between lawmakers and Cuomo's office have been few and far between in the past two months.

She said the bill, if it's pushed through by the end of session, will likely be amended to reflect any concerns Cuomo's office or lawmakers may have with the measure. But that can't happen until three-way discussions between the Assembly, Senate, and Cuomo's office ramp up, Peoples-Stokes said.

“I think there has to be some continuing negotiation. That's why I'm calling for the three-ways to be reinstated,” Peoples-Stokes said. “Right now there's no three-ways, but there should be.”

Lawmakers have been critical of Cuomo in recent weeks for not being more forthright about the issue, saying that he hasn't thrown his full political clout behind marijuana legalization. They've pointed to other instances where Cuomo has rallied publicly to sway votes on issues that didn't initially have majority support, such as a minimum wage increase or paid family leave.

Cuomo, who did not publicly support legalization until the state Department of Health recommended it last year, responded to that point at a press conference earlier this week. He said there likely wasn't enough time to negotiate a deal on marijuana legalization this year, and that he was surprised to hear recently that there wasn't full support in the Senate.

“The premise was always that it would be passed after the budget. The past week or so, I consider, a dramatic shift in the Senate now saying [they] don't have the votes,” Cuomo said. “I don't think it's feasible at this point. I don't think it matters how much I push in 11 days.”

Peoples-Stokes, meanwhile, was confident on Wednesday that lawmakers would take up the bill in some form before the end of this year's legislative session, which is scheduled to wrap up later this month.

“I don't see why not. Why wouldn't' there be a vote?” Peoples-Stokes said. “There are members who support it in both houses. Why wouldn't there be a vote? I do expect there should be a vote, yes.”

Democrats who remain cautious about legalizing marijuana haven't outlined their concerns publicly, but road safety is said to be at least one problem that remains. Some have argued that the state would need to make a major investment in local and regional law enforcement to train officers on recognizing when someone is under the influence of the drug.

That was one argument on display Wednesday from opponents of legalization, who spoke at the state Capitol against the idea. Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol, head of the New York Sheriffs Association, warned that officers, statewide, don't have the technology or training to enforce the state's traffic laws when it comes to marijuana intoxication.

“There are very few, if any, tools out in the community that exist where we can measure a person's level of marijuana in their system,” Maciol said. “How we would be able to enforce the traffic laws when it comes to marijuana use by those who are operating vehicles is a complete and total unknown.”

New legislation introduced in recent weeks by Krueger and Peoples-Stokes would attempt to address that concern by diverting some of the revenue generated by the sale of marijuana to local law enforcement agencies for more staff and continued training.

That bill was designed as a compromise between previous legislation from Krueger and Peoples-Stokes for legalization and a proposal from Cuomo introduced earlier this year as part of his executive budget in January. Cuomo has yet to take a position on the bill, but has argued that if lawmakers want to legalize marijuana this year, they should pass a bill immediately and send it to him for a signature.

They'll have the next two weeks to do that, if they choose to go that route. This year's legislative session is scheduled to end June 19.

READ MORE:

Cuomo Says Senate Votes Aren't There to Legalize Marijuana for Recreational Use in NY

New Marijuana Legalization Bill Proposes Expungement of Records, Assembly Leader Says

NY Senate Leader Backs Expunging Criminal Records in Marijuana Legalization