New York State lawmakers announced today that they have come to agreement to approve a limited pilot program for medical marijuana in the Empire State.
An agreement was reached to amend the bill to include provisions demanded by Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, including provisions that prohibit the smoking of marijuana. Instead, the amended measure is expected to only allow for non-smoked preparations of cannabis (such as oils). The compromised measure also reduces from the original bill of the number of qualifying conditions, as well as the total number of state-licensed producers and dispensers that will be allowed. (A final draft of the compromised language has not yet been made public.)
The pilot program will be overseen by the State Health Department and would last for seven years, with the option to reauthorize the program after that period has expired. After final approval, the State Health Department will have up to 18 months to establish regulations and authorize entities permitted to dispense it. The governor, upon recommendation by the state police superintendent or the state health commissioner, would have the authority to suspend the program.
NORML will keep you updated as this situation evolves.
I have severe nerve damage pain in both my feet from a surgery for cancer that I almost died from. I have a severe OCD as well. I also spent ten years in the Navy(Highly decorated). I was born and raised in New York and bleed the Yankee colors. I find great comfort in the use of Marijuana. It quiets my OCD and it relieves a great deal of my pain. Laws were passed in 1996 in California yet here we still sit in NY waiting for the people we elected to pass the laws that we want passed. Marijuana helps me to think and feel normal. Why is my normal so bad? Why do I have to turn to drug dealers and break the law to get my medication?
Thomas,the governor is afraid of the problems that occurred in Colorado when they first legalized it and the. gangbangers came in shooting up the state! Too bad there is always some faction to ruin everything! I just hope they don’t mess this up so the governor can yank it out from under us! yes its ironic how new medicines they’re pushing show up in commercials and five minutes worth of it scares the crap out of you with enough side effects to give you nightmares! what do these drug companies do? Go under their sinks and throw a bunch of chemicals together,turn it over to the pharmaceutical powers that be and let it go out on the market!! I can’t tell you how many of their “wonder drugs” have permanently messed me up one way or another! Weed has been used for thousands of years for medicine and other reasons besides recreational use and no one has ever reported an allergic reaction or being made ill in any way from the drug. Its all big business. Someone should show the politicians how much cash they’re making in the other states that legalized weed!
Soo.. New York cops will stop and frisk any time they smell something burning, or think they smell something burning.
@Alex,
Your analysis of GWPharmacueticals, New York and Florida is on point, but could you “disclose” a little more to the NORML community the difference between investing in GWPH in the stock market and donating to NORML Foundation or NORML PAC? What are the pros and cons? What are the detriments and benefits to society going one way or the other? Elaborate please. Inquiring minds want to know.
For those of us who did not watch Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s “Weed 2,” since 2001 the Department of Health and Human Services (D.H.H.S.) has held an unconstitutional, hypocritical patent “…507“ on cannabinoids as neuroprotectants that completely contradicts National Institute for Drug Abuse’s (N.I.D.A.) unconstitutional, hypocritical, unconsciounable efforts to deny cannabis has medicinal value through the Controlled Substance Act.
Worse yet, the D.H.H.S. sold exclusive rights for patent “507” to GWPH, steering around international and domestic drug policy for profit… But profit to who inside our government?
We know how GWPH will profit off of selling overpriced, restricted supplies of cannabis oils to sick, epileptic children whose parents would gladly GROW THEIR OWN to save their child’s life… IF the same D.H.H.S. who PROFITS from the sale of their immoral cannabinoid patent wasn’t threatening to TAKE THEIR CHILDREN AWAY.
Patent “507“ must be made open source. For our government to deny doctors and patients the ability to grow their own life-saving medicine; to deny sick children from their parents for profit for providing them the only medicine that works; to deny the medicinal value of cannabis through N.I.D.A. on the one hand while the D.H.H.S. sells that medicinal value on the other… And all for prohibitive profit over the sick and imprisoned… is as unconsciounable as it is immoral, and the American people will not stand for it.
We will not end this battle for freedom until every American has the God given right to grow our own cannabis right off our front porches and in our gardens. We may respect zoning laws if they provide protections from genetically engineered cross pollinations, but when our laws determine the death of our painfully sick and wrongfully imprisoned than we must join together as Americans as we say No More Drug War. When we can peacefully disobey a law and privide a service of health, kindness and relief to others, than that law is definitively unjust, and was made to be broken. The drug wars have not failed those who profit from its prohibition. But every day the bucket goes to the well; and one day the bottom will drop out. Where we stand today in these United States is that the bottom has not only dropped out, but our fresh water has been washed out and our wells contaminated by the greed of corporate monoculture that desires we forget how to grow our own gardens, make our own rain water, or Commune with God and Nature in sustainable coexistence.
Now is the time for the weak to become strong. It is time for every one of us Americans to vote, to call our Congressman, our state officials, our city councils, and let OUR VOICES be HEARD.From the smallest drop of water comes the greatest ripples… But those waves in Congress must begin with a little drop of courage at home.
Personally, I would love to see our green Lady Liberty holding a bouquet of cannabis around her torch, and let the book she holds tell the story of how many Americans fought for truth, justice and the freedom we have been so denied.
Not sure if we should celebrate yet. Cuomo is corrupt and is doing this for 2016 election. We need action at the federal Level, something else Hussain Obama lied about. Does Cannabis still have NO medicinal values in Obama’s eyes? This is something he should use his famous PEN on and show real compassion and just Common sense. criminals will always be criminals, STOP punishing SICK People for it. Morphineoids make us sick, weak and frail. Nasty side-effects that can be managed better with Cannabis. I know. I’m a Patient.
@bruja
Those meds must have really messed up where you get your info from.
Dear”mad”, watch the news once un a while! you might Lear
n something! I’ve been fighting for legalization since the 60’s. Probably before you were born! we all want the same thing. I really don’t think we will get the results we.want here in NY until I’m long dead! I wish I could leave this miserable.state but due to my health and lack of finances,NY taxes people.to.death! I’m stuck here! ill keep fighting up til I take my last breath! We have no alternative people to vote for here sadly.When that political machine keeps rolling,it rolls right over us! We are doomed to keep fighting Cuomo and his cronies. I only wish some of you youngerpeople would take uwp the gauntlet and reg unto politics and male a differente. No one gas come foreste to challenge these policies. and the powers that be will continue to squash our hopes and dreams. I totally agree that Cuomos proposals are ridiculous. I read it includes irritable bowel syndrome of all things! not fibromyalgia,arthritis,or chronic pain or anything really useful except maybe cancer and AIDS. Don’t knock an old lady for what you know nothing about! I’m every bit as mad as you are over this! there was trouble in Colorado when they. had rally celebrations when throwaway were first passed in Colorado. watch the news programs sometime and you’ll see for yourself! I KNOW that’s one reason Cuomo won’t do it here sadly. keep fighting with me my people and lets work together instead of making snide remarks about each other. fight on NY!
The problem is trying to educate ignorant Politicans .
“paging Mister Cuckold Cuomo ”
they are either soooo very stupid or they are soooo very corrupt !
hopefully the VOTERS come November 2014 will be smarter.
There is only one true argument for legalizing marijuama (and imdeed all drugs)
And that is this:
“It’s my body, it’s my business CLACK CLACK *12Gauge being pumped* stop me!”
Cuomo needs to have a massive heart attack amd die. If I want weed, who is anyone to tell me I can’t.
I am actually a big fan of governor Cuomo and just think he is being overly cautious. Once our politicians support medical or full legalization he will be on board.
Please stop calling him names as he is still a better option than any republican anti-marijuana opponent that would run against him.
He at least had the balls to revive a stupid law that would promote medical marijuana while politicians outed him as a drug dealer. I like Cuomo even though he is not really educated on the benefits of marijuana.
Ray, he is acting exactly like an asshole. Why is there an 18 months waiting period? Just so more people and suffer??? These people, like Cuomo and Christie, are fucking idiots. Yeah, and if he doesn’t know about it, how about he try something new??? It is called learning.
Control Freak Zealots. Signing dumb medical marijuana laws, just makes medical marijuana dumber for the people living under these stupid laws. What is the point of making defective laws??? Just to force people to sue you anyway? That people then have to sue to make “the system work”???
Where is the cheese in this rat box, shit law?
Dave you have a good point. My guess is Cuomo is afraid to make to big a leap because he just doesn’t know what he’s talking about when it comes to marijuana. Sure the whole no smoking thing is bull shit, and the waiting period is way to long.
My guess is that if he or someone he loves were to get really sick and need serious medication he would find the time to do his research. Until then yea, were pretty screwed.
I must have been drunk when I wrote that last blog, just ignore it. Saying Cuomo is better than anyone is like saying eating sand is better than eating lots of sand.