As New Yorkers put together to go to the polls to vote for his or her new Mayor tomorrow (Tuesday, November 04), the state’s huge however unsettled hashish market has grow to be a key battleground for the three hopefuls. 

Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa all current divergent visions for enforcement, licensing and fairness within the state’s hashish market, and whoever manages to clinch victory on this more and more tight contest will largely decide its future route. 

The outcomes will grow to be clear simply days earlier than Enterprise of Hashish: New York 2025 on 6 November, the place policymakers, traders and operators will collect to dissect the way forward for hashish regulation underneath new management. 

Under we’ve damaged down every candidate’s public stance on hashish in New York, and think about how they’re prone to take care of the litany of points the state’s trade faces, from lawsuits, to zoning points and a resilient black market. 

Candidate stances

Zohran Mamdani (Democrat)

The 34-year previous, born in Kampala, Uganda, is a self-proclaimed socialist, and till this week has commanded a double-digit lead within the polls. 

Elected to the New York State Meeting in 2020 to signify the thirty sixth District (Astoria and Lengthy Island Metropolis), Mamdani rapidly established himself as a part of the state’s progressive bloc, advocating for housing affordability, transit fairness and criminal-justice reform

As a youthful progressive candidate, Mamdani brings a robust voice on these core points, alongside these referring to social justice, a key part in New York’s hashish programme. 

Throughout a moyoral debate on October 16, he conceded that he has ‘bought marijuana at a authorized hashish store’.

He voted within the state meeting for adult-use legalisation in New York, signalling alignment with the regulated market.

Whereas detailed coverage paperwork stay restricted, his marketing campaign associations and commentaries recommend an emphasis on client entry and fairness in licensing.

Andrew Cuomo (Unbiased, former Governor)

Andrew Cuomo, born 6 December 1957 in New York Metropolis, is a long-serving public official with deep expertise in state and federal authorities.

He served as US Secretary of Housing and City Growth underneath President Invoice Clinton from 1997 to 2001, later as New York State Legal professional Normal (2007–2010) after which as Governor (2011–2021) (Britannica).

Cuomo is credited with signing the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) in March 2021, which legalised adult-use hashish and established the Workplace of Hashish Administration.

After resigning from the governorship in 2021 amid harassment allegations, Cuomo returned to politics in 2025 as an unbiased candidate for mayor, following a loss within the Democratic major 

Within the mayoral race, he has obtained endorsement from the New York Metropolis Deputy Sheriffs’ Benevolent Affiliation (NYCDSB), a union of enforcement officers liable for shutting unlawful hashish shops, signalling a law-and-order strategy to the illicit market.

Regardless of this, his file faces scrutiny from trade observers who argue the rollout of the authorized market underneath his governorship left a big illicit retail base.

Curtis Sliwa (Republican)

Curtis Sliwa, born 26 March 1954 in New York Metropolis, is greatest generally known as the founding father of the Guardian Angels, a volunteer public-safety group established in 1979 that is still lively within the metropolis

A protracted-time radio host and political commentator, Sliwa has been a fixture of New York civic life for greater than 4 many years. 

Working once more because the Republican nominee after his 2021 bid, Sliwa campaigns on a law-and-order platform centered on avenue security, homelessness and enterprise restoration.

Although supportive of authorized adult-use and medical hashish in precept, he requires more durable enforcement towards unlicensed operators and stricter regulation of public consumption.

At a 2025 debate he revealed he has used medical hashish to handle Crohn’s illness and persistent ache from a previous capturing, whereas arguing that ‘you may’t let individuals be smoking it out in public’