Gov. Andrew Cuomo is ready to sign the marijuana legalization bill.

"Pass the bill today, I will sign it today," Cuomo said. "I can't be any clearer than that. We have to get it passed."

But it has to be approved first in the Legislature, a development Cuomo on Wednesday with WAMC acknowledged could be difficult for lawmakers.

"It is a different calculus when it has to be passed in the Assembly and Senate," Cuomo said, adding, "It's not an easy vote."

Cuomo had previously said the legalization measure is in doubt if it isn't approved in the state budget. For the second year in a row, he included the proposal in his budget plan.

The bill garners statewide support, but backing of it is weaker in suburban communities. Lawmakers who represent those areas have, in the past, been hesitant to embrace the legislation.

"I run in New York state, I'm confident the people of New York state support this position," Cuomo said.

The Legislature, of course, has taken tough votes in the recent past as well. But complexities surrounding marijuana legalization -- how revenue is distributed, who should benefit and how it should be taxed -- remain under debate.