In Vermont, the governor just signed a law allowing people to consume marijuana recreationally. The newly inaugurated governor of New Jersey has made it clear that he wants weed legalized.
But in neighboring New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo -- an outspoken opponent of legalized marijuana -- has, well, appointed a task force to study the issue.
State Senator Gustavo Rivera, however, thinks that what is happening in the other states will inevitably lead New York to liberalize its laws.
"When something is legal in one state and not legal in another, you will have people crossing the border to go and get it," Senator Rivera said in an interview Tuesday on Cheddar's weekly "Cannabiz" show. "You see that with firecrackers; they're legal in many states but illegal in others. So certainly it can have an impact on what happens in one state, when people of that state go to another to acquire it, which is why, yes, there is pressure now."
Governor Cuomo has long argued that marijuana was a "gateway drug" that could lead to the use of other, more dangerous drugs. As recently as a year ago, he said, "I am unconvinced on recreational marijuana." His creation of a task force to study the legalization issues suggests that his views have softened, at least somewhat.
But Senator Rivera, a Democrat who represents portions of the Bronx, says the issue is pretty clear-cut. "Many of us are saying let's make sure that we do the right thing in the state of New York, that we push for recreational marijuana to exist in New York. It would be the right thing to do."
For full segment [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/when-will-new-york-legalize-marijuana).
President Donald Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes the year he ran for president and in his first year in the White House, according to a report Sunday in The New York Times.
President Donald Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on Saturday, capping a dramatic reshaping of the federal judiciary that will resonate for a generation and that he hopes will provide a needed boost to his reelection effort.
The late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lay in state at the U.S. Capitol on Friday, the first woman in American history so honored at the domed building.
From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, these are the top stories that moved markets and had investors, business leaders, and entrepreneurs talking this week on Cheddar.
Dr. Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer at Johnson & Johnson, joined Cheddar to discuss phase three COVID-19 vaccine trials. More than 60,000 people worldwide have volunteered to be part of the study.
A closer look at some key areas where Ginsburg was most influential reveals a jurist who defied easy ideological categories, especially when it came to business.
The pandemic is now striking cities with much smaller populations, often in conservative corners of America where anti-mask sentiment runs high.
Ohio Rep. Bob Latta joined Cheddar to discuss new safety legislation he's introduced for autonomous vehicles. The Self-Drive Act will create a national standard for operation of self-driving cars.
Democrats are going back to the drawing board on a huge virus relief bill. House Democrats say they are paring back their proposal in an attempt to jump-start negotiations with the Trump administration.
Dr. Jo Jorgensen, the 2020 Libertarian candidate for President, joined Cheddar to discuss her role in this year's election and whether third party candidates dictate the outcome. Jorgensen also provides her position on mask wearing when it comes to mitigating the spread of COVID-19.
