Pubdate: Thu, 09 Jan 2014
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2014 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: Tina Susman

NEW YORK MOVES TOWARD LEGAL MEDICAL MARIJUANA

NEW YORK - Gov. Andrew Cuomo took the first step toward making New 
York the 21st state to legalize marijuana for medical purposes 
Wednesday, announcing plans to let some hospitals distribute the drug 
to patients with "serious illnesses."

The announcement in his state-of-the-state speech represents a shift 
for Cuomo, who had opposed legalizing the drug for any use. But most 
New Yorkers want their state to follow the lead of others that have 
relaxed pot laws, according to several polls - and Cuomo is up for 
reelection in November.

Cuomo briefly mentioned his medical marijuana plan deep into his 
address and indicated it would be a pilot program, not necessarily 
permanent. "Research suggests that medical marijuana can help manage 
the pain and treatment of cancer and other serious illnesses," he 
said, noting that 20 other states have allowed it to be prescribed 
for some illnesses.

He said New York would establish a program allowing "up to 20 
hospitals" to distribute marijuana. "We will monitor the program to 
evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of a medical marijuana 
system," Cuomo said. He provided no other details.

On Jan. 1, Colorado became the first state in the nation to allow the 
sale of small amounts of marijuana for recreational use. Washington 
state is expected to open some pot stores this year. California has 
allowed medical marijuana since 1996.

Despite New York's liberal leanings, it has resisted pot 
legalization. Several attempts to pass state laws permitting some use 
of marijuana have failed, most recently in 2013, even though a 
Quinnipiac University survey in June found that 70% of New Yorkers 
favored medical marijuana.

Proponents of changing the law said Cuomo's announcement was a 
positive step but did not go far enough.

"The governor's executive order serves as an important step towards 
the wholesale reform of the state's marijuana laws, which are 
painfully out of date, needlessly harsh and have a devastating impact 
on communities of color," said the executive director of the New York 
Civil Liberties Union, Donna Lieberman. The NYCLU supports "full 
decriminalization" of marijuana, she said.

The Marijuana Policy Project in Washington said Cuomo's plan was 
"unworkable" because it relied on a provision in a decades-old public 
health law, not new legislation.

"A cynic would say that it's a very popular political issue and this 
is a way to make it look like he's supportive of it, without actually 
proposing a workable solution," said Karen O'Keefe, the group's 
director of state policies.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom