New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday that he will indeed be legalizing the use of medical marijuana, making New York the 21st state to do so.
Yahoo! News reports that Cuomo, a Democrat who has dismissed various legalization measures in the past, revealed a limited pilot program to serve one of the most populated states in the country.
“We will establish a program allowing up to 20 hospitals to prescribe medical marijuana,” he said during his annual State of the State Address in Albany.
The governor’s primary argument was that marijuana can help patients “manage the pain and treatment of cancer and other serious illnesses.”
“We will monitor the program to evaluate effectiveness in the feasibility of (a) medical marijuana system,” he added.
The 56-year-old is likely to issue an executive order since four previous attempts to legalize medical marijuana failed to get past New York’s state assembly. Cuomo campaigned for decriminalizing the possession of up to 15 grams of weed last year.
The measure will make New York the fourth state in the Northeast to legalize medical marijuana. Massachusetts allows patients to possess “no more marijuana than is necessary for the patient’s personal, medical use” to ease the effects of cancer, glaucoma, HIV, Parkinson’s or other serious conditions.
Vermont patients can possess “no more than two marijuana plants, seven immature plants and two ounces of usable marijuana,” according to Yahoo! News
New Jersey authorizes marijuana for medical use as well, but within a strict framework — a law that has recently been amended to include certain serious childhood ailments.
Yesterday’s speech also highlighted the necessity of lowering business taxes and modernizing New York’s school system.
Cuomo, along with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, may run for president in 2016.
