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Cuomo says he'll push to legalize weed. That might fix the subway, too.

Here’s one way to fix New York City’s decrepit subway system: Get everybody high.
Here’s one way to fix New York City’s decrepit subway system: Get everybody high.

Here’s one way to fix New York City’s decrepit subway system: Get everybody high.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced during a speech in Manhattan Monday that he’ll advocate for legalizing recreational marijuana across the state next year, according to the New York Times. And one of the more creative proposals being tossed around would take the resulting tax revenue and inject it into New York City’s aging subway system, which needs $43 billion in repairs.

Cuomo, who once called marijuana a “gateway drug,” came around to the idea of legalization after Cynthia Nixon challenged him on his stance in the most recent gubernatorial race. Since Democrats won control of the state’s Senate in the November midterms and ended a divided statehouse, marijuana legalization now looks pretty feasible for New York.

New York City’s former City Council speaker, Melissa Mark-Viverito, proposed a “Weed for Rails” plan earlier this month, which posits that recreational legalization could drum up $1.3 billion in annual revenue to repair public transit. It’s not yet clear whether Cuomo is on the same page, but he’s largely been charged with the transit system’s failures after a drawn-out argument about who’s responsible for fixing it. Other proposals would put the tax revenue toward communities of color unjustly affected by drug laws.

Medical marijuana is already legal in New York, but the state has been remarkably behind its progressive counterparts in pushing for recreational use. Colorado, which intensely taxes marijuana legally purchased at dispensaries, has used resulting revenue to fund scholarships, help the homeless, and pay for K-12 education, for example.

Cover image: Melissa Mark-Viverito, a candidate for New York City Public Advocate, speaks at a news conference, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018, in New York. The former New York City Council Speaker is proposing to legalize marijuana sales and use the tax revenue to help fund the city's aging subway system. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)