Pubdate: Fri, 16 May 2014
Source: Post-Standard, The (Syracuse, NY)
Copyright: 2014 Advance Publications
Contact: http://www.syracuse.com/mailforms/opinion/index.ssf
Website: http://www.syracuse.com/poststandard/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/686
Author: Teri Weaver

MEDICAL MARIJUANA ADVOCATE: 'IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN' IN 2014 IN NEW
YORK

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Susan Rusinko, who says she uses marijuana daily to
manage the effects of multiple sclerosis, says she believes New York
lawmakers will legalize the drug for medical use this year.

"I really feel it," said Rusinko, of Auburn, who has been at the
forefront of a growing effort to convince lawmakers to allow for the
drug's use. "2014. It's going to happen. It's going to be huge."

Rusinko said she was optimistic despite the fact that a key, long-time
medical marijuana proponent in the Assembly has not signed onto the
latest bill in the New York State Senate.

Rusinko said she met with Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, D-Manhattan
and chairman of the Assembly Health Committee, in early April.

"He said we have more momentum now than ever," Rusinko recalled.
Rusinko said she didn't know the exact reasons why Gottfried has not
signed onto the latest bill from Sen. Diane Savino, D-Staten Island,
another leading proponent of medical marijuana.

Savino's bill narrows the diagnoses or conditions that could qualify a
patient for medical marijuana. It also prohibits people under 21 from
smoking the drug for medicinal purposes.

But for the first time, the state Senate has enough votes to pass
Savino's bill. The Assembly has passed a broader version four previous
times.

"In the end, I think it's going to be the right bill that works for
all of us," Rusinko said.

Rusinko and others haven't convinced everyone.

Sen. John DeFrancisco, who once said he was open about the issue, said
earlier this week he has reservations about legislators approving
prescription medicines.

"I don't see how lay people can determine what drugs are safe to use,"
DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse, said. The federal government and the Food &
Drug Administration have authority over prescription drugs, he said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said he would review any bill passed by the
Legislature. Cuomo proposed earlier this year to use existing state
health laws to establish 20 hospitals as sites for medical marijuana
use.

A call to Cuomo's press office late this morning was not immediately
returned.
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