Zack Fink reports at New York State of Politics that state Senator Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat, is blaming former Governor Andrew Cuomo for the slow rollout of cannabis retail stores in the state. Recreational cannabis was legalized in April, 2021, but the first store only opened at the very end of 2022 in Manhattan. Since then, another store has opened in New York City, and two others in Binghamton and Ithaca. A lawsuit is blocking any from opening in five regions of the state, including the Hudson Valley. “I do believe part of the problem here is we passed the law, but we had a governor named Andrew Cuomo who didn’t start the agency and get rolling.... So, people were sitting there going ‘where are you? Where are you?’ And we were trying to get him to do something, and he wasn’t.” Now lawmakers in Albany are already considering changing the cannabis laws. Democratic Assembly Majority Leader Crystal People’s-Stokes, a Buffalo Democrat, said, “I wouldn’t characterize it as an overhaul. But I would characterize it as some necessary tweaking." The Democrats want to crack down on illegal sales, and simplify some regulations and taxes, to get more stores open. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.