NO POT IN NEW YORK

MDC extends a happy “420″ day after Governor Cumo nixed the potential Medical Pot Bill in New York.

It looks like New York State will have to wait another year (at least) before medical marijuana legislation has a chance to pass. While a bill that would legalize pot for medicinal use is forthcoming in the New York Legislature, Governor Andrew Cuomo publicly acknowledged this week that he would not sign such a bill.

According to Gov Cuomo, the cons outweigh the pros regarding medical cannabis. Cuomo went on to state “There are tremendous risks … I think the risks outweigh the benefits at this point.” Cuomo, however, did not elaborate on what he considers to be the risks of allowing qualified patients access to safe and effective medicine.

Gov Cuomo did manage to lump medical cannabis in with drug abuse in general by saying “We have a terrible problem in this state, still, on drug use.” The statement, while slightly less absurd, was reminiscent of Senator Mitch McConnell’s recent argument in favor of keeping marijuana illegal in which he linked the benign substance to “detrimental effects” including death.

The governor also stated that while the issue could be reevaluated, there is not enough time left in the legislative session for necessary fine-tuning of a medical pot bill. Yet assembly Heath Committee Chairman Richard Gottfried undermined the governor’s stance. “The legislature and governor have sorted out much more complicated issues in less time over the years. I think the governor would find this very doable,” Gottfried offered.

According to the Village Voice: “Unfortunately, here’s the reality: if Cuomo backs a medical marijuana bill, you can pretty much count on a few ‘Andrew Cuomo’s soft on drugs – he led the charge against the Rockefeller Drug Laws AND legalized weed (gasp!)’ GOP campaign ads if he runs for president … Obviously, this is our theory on Cuomo’s ‘uncharacteristic’ opposition to something ‘progressive’ like medical weed.”

Regardless of the reasoning, New York’s sick will not have legal medical marijuana to ease their suffering any time soon.