ALBANY -- After a legislative session with no progress on legalizing medical marijuana, advocates are hoping that the New Jersey governor's actions last week and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's statement that he is studying the issue will lead to success. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, said his state would move forward with its medical-marijuana act, a reversal from his position last month. He said at the time that he had concerns the state legislation conflicts with federal law and practice. [continues 615 words]
ALBANY - A poll released today by Cornell University Survey Research Institute found that nearly two-thirds of New Yorkers are in favor of legalizing marijuana for medical use. A higher percentage of upstate residents support it than people who live downstate - 67 percent versus 62 percent. There is a marked difference in attitude between Democrats and unaffiliated voters on one side and Republicans on the other, according to the poll. Sixty-six percent of Democrats and 68 percent of unaffiliated voters support legalization for medical use, while a plurality of Republicans -- 48 percent - said they are against it. [continues 338 words]
ALBANY -- Legalizing marijuana for medical use, which would produce millions of dollars in revenue for New York, continues to be part of negotiations on the state budget, which is now more than 80 days late, officials said Monday. "To me the reason for enacting it is treating patients with serious conditions fairly, but the revenue is certainly a reason to make it part of the budget. So, all of those issues are very much up in the air," said Assembly Health Committee Chairman Richard Gottfried, D-Manhattan, who is sponsoring the bill. [continues 656 words]
But Assembly Leader Doubts Budget Will Include Measure ALBANY ? The Senate is making a renewed push to legalize medical marijuana in New York, hoping to make it the 16th state to legalize the drug for patients with serious, debilitating or life-threatening illnesses. The Assembly passed a medical-marijuana bill twice in recent years, but the Senate did not. Legislation that would legalize its use passed a key Senate committee Tuesday, and the same bill is making its way through the Assembly committee process. [continues 697 words]
ALBANY - Legalization of marijuana for medical use may have a shot at legislative approval this year because Democrats, who now control the state Senate and Assembly, are sponsoring identical bills on the issue. State Senate Health Committee Chairman Thomas Duane and Assembly Health Committee Chairman Richard Gottfried, both Manhattan Democrats, are backing the legislation, which would allow patients to have up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and 12 mature plants. "There are thousands of New Yorkers with serious debilitating, life-threatening, painful ailments who would benefit from the medical use under physician supervision ... of marijuana," Gottfried said yesterday. "The medical science is very clear and very well established that there are many patients for whom marijuana will ameliorate their symptoms or help them to tolerate their treatment, where other medications do not work." [continues 586 words]
ALBANY - Legalization of marijuana for medical use may have a shot at legislative approval this year because Democrats, who now control the Senate and Assembly, are sponsoring identical bills on the issue. State Senate Health Committee Chairman Thomas Duane and state Assembly Health Committee Chairman Richard Gottfried, both Manhattan Democrats, are backing the legislation, which would allow patients to have up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and 12 mature plants. "There are thousands of New Yorkers with serious debilitating, life-threatening, painful ailments who would benefit from the medical use under physician supervision ... of marijuana," Gottfried said Tuesday. "The medical science is very clear and very well established that there are many patients for whom marijuana will ameliorate their symptoms or help them to tolerate their treatment, where other medications do not work." [continues 532 words]
It Says Current Sentencing, Drug Treatment Laws Are Confounding ALBANY - New York should expand access to drug treatment and alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent felony offenders, establish a system of largely fixed prison terms, and adopt a graduated system for parole violations, according to a state report released last week. The Commission on Sentencing Reform released its recommendations after about 18 months of studying sentencing laws, which have not undergone a thorough revision in more than 40 years. The state has an "incredibly complex sentencing structure capable of confounding even the most experienced practitioners," the report said. [continues 803 words]
ALBANY -- For decades, addiction-treatment programs have focused on drug and alcohol abuse and shrugged at patients' near-universal use of tobacco. But faced with growing awareness of the power of nicotine addiction and that smoking kills more people than all other addictive drugs combined, New York officials have decided the state can no longer afford to ignore smoking. "The entire field has struggled with the really incorrect notion that treating nicotine addiction would be really a hardship on the chemically addicted," said Karen Carpenter-Palumbo, commissioner of the state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. [continues 760 words]
Advocates Say Polls Show Support Among GOP, Conservative Voters ALBANY -- After a bill to legalize medical use of marijuana passed the Democrat-controlled Assembly but not the GOP-led Senate this year, a national group is releasing polls showing that Conservative Party members and voters in several Republican senators' districts would favor the practice. Bruce Mirken of the Marijuana Policy Project said the organization succeeded in dispelling a common belief that right-wing voters are against medical use of marijuana. "Your voters aren't going to want to come and get you for wanting to keep cancer patients out of jail," Mirken said. [continues 444 words]
Many GOP District Voters Favor Idea for Medical Use ALBANY -- After a bill to legalize medical use of marijuana passed the Democrat-controlled Assembly but not the GOP-led Senate this year, a national group is releasing polls showing that Conservative Party members and voters in several Republican senators' districts would favor the practice in New York. Bruce Mirken of the Marijuana Policy Project said the organization succeeded in dispelling a common belief that right-wing voters are against allowing people who have serious illnesses access to marijuana. [continues 302 words]
In 12 months on the beat with the Putnam County Narcotics Task Force, a Carmel police officer made nearly 40 arrests for possession and sale of drugs like Ecstacy, marijuana and cocaine, and supplied leads that led to successful investigations in other towns. A new county-town partnership program had put him there, based on the theory that working together prevents duplication of efforts and gives authorities an edge in collaring dealers and users. But on March 18, the county ended the program, and the undercover officer, whose name was withheld, was sent back to Carmel, where he was placed on patrol. [continues 722 words]
BRIDGEPORT - A city maintenance man who twice tested positive for cocaine use is alleging his employer broke state and federal law in ordering the drug tests. Bernard Mahoney of Taft Avenue is suing the city for $15,000 or more to get his job back. A lawsuit filed recently said he has suffered emotional injuries, and lost wages and past and future employment benefits. Thomas Bucci Jr., a Bridgeport lawyer representing Mahoney, said his client denies ever taking drugs. Regardless, Bucci said, the city did not follow proper procedure in ordering the tests. [continues 225 words]
