This morning we were stoked to see renewed momentum in Albany for medical marijuana legislation. Democratic State Senator Diane Savino expressed optimism that she could get the needed Republican votes to pass a bill in the Senate, and the Wall Street Journal speculated that the same political landscape that saw same-sex marriage pass could finally allow sick people to legally smoke grass, like they do in 16 other states. Then along came Governor Cuomo to harsh the mellow.
Asked about the likelihood of getting Savino's bill passed and signed during this legislative session, which ends in June, Cuomo said it's highly unlikely. "My position has been that there are tremendous risks here, also,” Cuomo told reporters today, according to Capital Tonight. "I understand the benefits, but there are also risks and I think the risks outweigh the benefits at this point. I understand there’s more research and there’s more evidence and it can always be re-evaluated. I don't think there’s going to be time this legislative session to analyze that issue."
We reached out to Senator Savino's office and we'll update when we hear back, but we're guessing that getting this legislation passed this session was always a long shot. After all, June is only six weeks away. Six weeks! In Albany they need at least two months to deliberate over a bill before they kill it without a vote.
