ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo isn't ready to give up on the possibility of reaching an agreement in the budget process on marijuana legalization.

Speaking with the Capitol Pressroom on Friday morning, the governor addressed Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie's pessimism about hammering out a deal before the state budget is due on March 31.

"We have six weeks. Six weeks is a long period of time. I'm not ready to give up yet," Cuomo said.

"Let's work every day to get it done," he said. "If we can't, we can't."

Heastie said on Thursday that the proposal laid out by the governor in his budget earlier this month has some "differences" with the Legislature's preferred language.

"We have to reconcile them while at the same time trying to agree on a $177 (billion) budget with all the challenges that presents as well," he tweeted.

The governor acknowledged Heastie's "credibility" on the issue and said he believes the speaker wants to "get it done," but stressed that his administration "didn't just jump into this" issue.

One area of difference concerns the organization of the retail market, with Cuomo's plan creating a bid structure for business licenses.

Asked whether he would hold up a budget deal over his marijuana proposal, Cuomo said, "I don't want to get into that."

If a deal isn't reached during the budget process, lawmakers would still have three months before the end of the legislative session in June to agree to a legalization framework this year.

David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87