Most news outlets are reporting today that a wonderfully bipartisan compromise measure to legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes has passed both in both the Assembly and the Senate in New York State, and that Governor Cuomo has every intent of signing this fabulous new legislation. As is my nature, here I come with my bucket of water, to douse any spontaneous celebrations that may ignite over this. This is a VERY problematic bill, in my estimation, for several reasons.
First, use of the plant in its natural form remains illegal under this bill. It cannot be legally smoked (or vaporized) in its plant form - which is the ONLY form in which this substance can actually be referred to as marijuana. The bill allows ONLY the use of extracts, meaning that the plant matter must first undergo an industrial process before it can be used legally. Another blow for "freedom of industry" from the Republican-lite Cuomo administration, thank you very much. This is why I say that we FAILED to pass a medical marijuana bill - what HAS been passed is a medical CANABINOIDS bill. Follow me below the orange pretzel for further critique of this hot mess.
The extracts that result from the processing of the plant can either be vaporized or eaten. One of the problems that has arisen in Colorado has been the packaging of edible canabis in a manner that is attractive to children. While that is unlikely to become a problem here, under this tightly restrictive legislation, it's still a point to be considered.
Also, there is a fairly short list of conditions for which these newly-legalized canabinoid extracts may be prescribed, and prescribing for an "unapproved" condition will be a felony (my arthritis and depression are notably absent, btw). Because state legislators are just so much more qualified than doctors to determine what kind of treatment will be beneficial to a patient - am I right, people? A cop (legislator? lawyer?) in every doctor's office isn't AT ALL "nanny-state", now is it? A measure that's sure to appeal to the Libertarians - NOT!
So, while this might be a move in a direction that I'd like to see things go, it's also a typical, Cuomo, half-measure, designed more to appease the national electorate, for Andrew's possible future presidential bid, than to do anything beneficial for his real and present constituency, the voters of New York State.