BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — New York State and Governor Cuomo anticipate $300 million dollars per year in generated profits due to recreational marijuana. The tax revenue from that will split into three parts, 20% for drug treatment, 40% for education and 40% for community reinvestment.
"We're looking at a range of different options to make sure that the communities that are most effected benefit from the legalization of marijuana," (D) Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said.
The City of Buffalo is currently looking at a wide range of options for how to help these communities.
"It could be an income program, it could be a training program," Mayor Brown said, "we are looking at a number of different options."
One option the Mayor said, an income program, is a guaranteed recurring payment that would be made to every adult within a designated neighborhood or area. It's something that the City of Rochester is currently looking into for predominantly black and brown communities.
"The neighborhoods, the communities that were most effected by the criminalization of marijuana deserve the opportunities to be the first ones to receive and be invested in," (D) Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren said.
The decision on how this money will be distributed will need to be done prior to April of 2022, when the tax provisions start for marijuana. According to Mayor Brown, it's a decision he doesn't take lightly. As investment in these communities helps all communities.
"Strengthen those communities, strengthen those individuals, and as they get stronger our entire community gets stronger."
