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Diluted Medical Marijuana Bill Gets Closer To Being Passed In New York
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Apr 28, 2014
Modified May 28, 2014
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Apr 28, 2014
Modified May 28, 2014
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Supporters of a medical marijuana bill in the State Senate have amended the language of the proposed legislation to make it palatable for our faux-progressive governor.
Instead of allowing physicians to use discretion regarding what types of maladies they may prescribe the plant for, the new bill strictly limits its use to 20 specific conditions, including cancer, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, and diabetes. Glaucoma and epilepsy are not on the list. [Ed: Epilepsy was added to an amended bill]
The result is similar to the legalization by fiat initially proposed by Governor Cuomo in January, which was widely criticized as being too restrictive an nearly impossible to implement.
Last week a Siena College poll showed [PDF] that Cuomo's support in a general election drops drastically if a third-party progressive Working Families Party candidate runs. The poll was taken after the governor stopped caring about the disproportionate amount of minority drug arrests, and after he proposed up to $400 million in tax cuts for banks and corporations, but before he told us all that the commission he set up to root out corruption in Albany exists because he allows it to exist, and that we needn't concern ourselves with it.
"I don't know that there's a lot of space to my left," the governor told WAMC. “Marriage equality, safe guns, we have a phenomenal record of accomplishment,” said Cuomo. “Does that mean we’ve done everything we’d like to do? No.”
Tagged
andrew cuomo
diluted Democrats
medical marijuana
war on drugs
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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