Michael Gormley reports in Newsday that on March 19 Gov. Andrew Cuomo dropped his proposal to legalize marijuana from the proposed state budget. Democrats campaigned last fall on legalization of recreational marijuana, but faced with a large budget shortfall and complete control of the legislature, they are turning down predictions of $300 million in new tax revenue over three years. Cuomo and state lawmakers can't agree on how that money will be spent. If it is not in the budget, then it would have until the end of the legislative session on June 19 to be passed this year. “This legislative session? I don’t know,” Cuomo said. “I think it was clear early on that the legislative leaders signaled that it was going to be [done] outside budget," he continued. "I think the speaker was quite clear of that, that it would be best to do it outside the budget, that it was complicated and it will take time. But, after the budget, I’m hopeful in the legislative session that it passes.” Read the full story in Newsday.