Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

New York health officials urge caution on pot legalization

wnyc.org

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  A group of county health officials is asking New York lawmakers to approach marijuana legalization with "extreme caution."

The New York State Association of County Health Officials released a statement Tuesday outlining concerns about adverse health impacts from marijuana legalization.

The association said it remains opposed to recreational marijuana legalization. But if it's legalized, the group called for safeguards and research as well as additional funding for local health departments for increases in workload.

On Monday, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he intends to work with lawmakers to legalize pot within the first few months of 2019.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.