Opponents are continuing to push back against legalizing marijuana, but supporters are more hopeful than ever the measure can get done in the next two months.

Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes says she's hopeful this is the year her bill to legalize marijuana will pass.

"I think it's very likely," she said. "I think it's very likely."

But what's changed since 2019, when the bill failed to gain a vote? Dave Little of the Rural Schools Association says not enough.

"We haven't prepared our schools for the kind of counseling, the kind of guidance, the kind of programs and services who are thinking about using," Little said.

Legalization opponents on Monday said the state needs to address traffic concerns, mental health issues and efforts to keep marijuana away from kids. Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol says that hasn't happened.

"We are going to put peoples' lives at risk," he said. "We know people are going to get hurt, we know people are going to die, so why would we want to human lives over tax revenue? So why would we want to suffer from other peoples' mistakes rather than learning from them."

For Peoples-Stokes, though, last year's argument remains the same: Legalizing marijuana will help communities adversely impacted by the war on drugs.