NEW YORK (WABC) --
New York Governor Cuomo announced that he would push to legalize recreational marijuana early next year.
He made the announcement as he laid out the upcoming legislative agenda for the first 100 days of 2019 at the New York City Bar Association on Monday.
New York would join 10 other states and Washington, D.C. have legalized recreational marijuana.
City Comptroller Scott Stringer estimated the move could bring in $1.3 billion in annual tax revenue at the state and local level, including about $336 million for the city alone.
Earlier, Cuomo said on a radio show that he's laying out his new progressive agenda in such a public way, in part, to push back on the Trump administration.
"This is a much different year given the assault of the federal government," Governor Cuomo said. "There's no doubt that New York has to stand up for itself and we have to fight Washington and we have to protect ourselves and we need state laws that do that."
Just last year he called it a gateway drug.
But polls show people favor legalizing it and now with Democratic majorities in the legislature it's more likely to pass.
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https://abc7ny.com/politi .. juana/4914808/