Albany, N.Y. — Gov. Andrew Cuomo has made quick passage of legal, recreational marijuana in New York a top priority, but the plan is moving more slowly.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said the legislation is so complex, it might not be approved as part of the state budget, which is due on April 1, according to the New York Post. Cuomo had included the marijuana plan as part of his budget proposal.

"Being honest and saying six weeks may not be enough time to come up with regulations, deal with economic impact on communities and the criminal justice aspects, somehow gets reactions of outrage instead of understanding and acknowledgment of the commitment to get this done," Heastie said in a tweet on Thursday, the Post said.

He also said legalization had to be done right and could be handled separately from the budget.

Research has found minorities have been disproportionately affected by pot arrests and activists want to ensure arrest records are completely wiped out, according to the Post. Discussions have also focused on whether needy communities will see any economic or job benefits from legalization.

The plan is certainly complicated. Lawmakers must come up with new taxes and regulations, agree on how to handle old marijuana convictions and detail how the new tax revenue will be spent.

Cuomo’s proposal would also bring the state’s existing medical marijuana system and industrial hemp growers under the same regulator, according to The Buffalo News.

Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes of Buffalo, the lead sponsor of the legalization bill, said the Legislature and Cuomo remain far apart on the plan.

"There are a ton of changes that are needed," she said in an interview with the News. "In fact, I think we're only about 50 percent of where we need to be with the governor's proposal. A lot of conversations need to be had."

Peoples-Stokes said she wants to ensure revenues from new taxes are earmarked for communities that have been negatively affected by the state's marijuana laws. She doesn't want the money to end up in the state's general fund.

She also told the News she is concerned about Cuomo's plan to put a single individual, not subject to Senate confirmation, in charge of every aspect of the recreational marijuana program.

Heastie hasn’t ruled out the possibility of completing legalization along with the budget, but he said in a tweet he was not optimistic, according to the Times Union in Albany.

"I want to get it right rather than beat a ‘time clock,’ " he wrote.

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