The New York state association of police unions unanimously opposes Gov. Cuomo’s plans to legalize recreational marijuana, calling it a “money grab,” the group’s president said Wednesday.
“We wanted to be on the record that we oppose it because it’s an act of total irresponsibility,” Michael Palladino, the head of the New York State Association of PBAs, said Wednesday.
“The Governor and lawmakers are trading public safety for a money grab to plug a budget deficit arising from mismanagement of taxpayer funds. Jeopardizing the public’s safety is not something cops support.”
The decision to come out against Cuomo’s proposal came at the group’s meeting in Albany Tuesday, said Palladino, who also heads the city’s Detectives’ Endowment Association.
Gov. Cuomo announced in December that he would push to legalize recreational marijuana, which could generate more than $1.7 billion in sales annually.
Ten other states and Washington, D.C., have legalized recreational pot with the proceeds going to a wide swath of initiatives, from schools to transportation.
The state association represents 45 police unions.