Medical Marijuana Bill Clears First Major Hurdle in New York Senate
Legislation that would legalize marijuana for medical dedications in New York cleared its first obstacle in the state Senate on Tuesday by passing the Health Committee in a 9-8 vote. A sole Republican, Sen. William Larkin of Orange County, joined eight Democrats to approve the bill.
The bill’s champion, independent Democrat Diane Savino, claims that if said legislation is permitted to come to the Senate floor for a vote, that she has rustled up enough support from both Democrats and Republicans to effectively pass her Compassionate Care Act.In order for Savino’s baby to reach the Senate chambers for a vote, it had to first traverse the 17-member Health Committee, which is chaired by the less-than-supportive-of-marijuana-legalization Sen. Kemp Hannon.
The legislation’s sponsors declare the bill's approval in the committee as a historic step for this type of bill. The Compassionate Care Act now advances to the Senate’s Finance Committee.
It’s been reported that Governor Cuomo is willing to consider any bill passed by the state’s Legislature.
Editor's note: This article was originally published on The 420 Times on Tuesday, May 20, 2014, and has been modified by the IVN editorial team to reflect the most updated news on the bill's progress.
Photo Credit: Ritu Manoj / shutterstock.com
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