BUFFALO, N.Y. — Just a few short months ago, many people including Governor Andrew Cuomo thought by now recreational marijuana would be legal in New York State.
As of April 20, that's of course not the case.
"I feel like there's enough legislative support. There are people that we're working on pulling in our direction and I believe we can get them there by June," said Assemblymember Crystal Peoples-Stokes.
Advocates for legalization said their fight is far from over.
Many gathered in Buffalo for a '420' Community Day, giving back by packing up and delivering boxes of food to 113 families across the city.
The event coordinator said the first priority should be the decriminalization of cannabis.
"There have just been so many collateral consequences that serve to devastate the community and keep the community impoverished economically," said Ebele Ifedigbo, the co-founder of Hood Incubator.
Ifedigbo's organization is working alongside Peoples-Stokes to change policies when it comes to marijuana.
Ifedigbo added, "Being able to come back home to Buffalo, in this moment, when legalization is looking like it's gonna pass at least within the next couple of years in New York State, with Buffalo being well poised to be a player in that industry but also well poised to help repair the harm."
Moving forward, Peoples-Stokes wants the legislation to include language that would require 50-percent of the tax revenue be used for disenfranchised communities.
She explained, "Even though I've got a lot of concurrence from the executive branch of government on this topic, I don't feel like we've got the language and statute that would hold true for generations."
While the new goal is to get it done by June, the majority leader told 2 on Your Side she's prepared to work at this for as long as she has to.
Peoples-Stokes said, "I was there when medical marijuana was first initially put forward as a possibility and it took 12 years to make that happen. I really pray that it doesn't take us twelve years to figure out that this is the right thing to do, legalizing the product in its entirety, but if it takes that, then that's what I'll do."