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Medical Cannabis Could Pass NY Senate, But Would Cuomo Sign?


April 19, 2013 | Andy Cush

New York State Senator Diane Savino (D-Staten Island) is confident that the medical marijuana bill introduced in March will pass through the senate if voted on, claiming that 38 of the group’s 63 members back the legislation. There’s a two-fold roadblock, however: Senate co-leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) will have to approve a vote, and if the bill passes, it will have to be signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo, who opposes medical cannabis despite his support for decriminalizing small amounts of weed. “At this point, I do not support medical marijuana,” he said this week. “I understand the benefits. It’s the risks.”

Fortunately, Savino and her cohorts have resolve. The senator and Assemblyman Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan) say they’ll make a “major push” for the bill before legislators adjourn June 20.