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Mostly Cloudy Time to face the new reality of medical marijuana
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Medical marijuana is also widely accepted by the medical community. According to a poll that appeared in the May 30 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, 76 percent of the doctors polled were in favor of the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Medical experts agree that marijuana can mitigate the symptoms associated with chronic pain, nausea from cancer chemotherapy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, seizure disorders and Crohn’s disease.
Believe it or not, with advancements in the industry, marijuana may not need to be smoked or inhaled to be effective. Now there are all kinds of alternatives, including baked goods and other forms of edibles that contain some components of marijuana and can be effective in treating the disorders listed above.
While states like Washington and Colorado have moved to legalize marijuana entirely, we New Yorkers aren’t ready to head in that direction, and we may never be ready for full legalization. With local stories of teens and young adults dying from overdoses of heroin and other potent drugs, now is not the time to have that conversation.
Marijuana is a much different drug than it was 20 years ago, and we have to learn all the facts about its long-term implications for the health of our young people before we even broach the subject of full legalization.
I believe our legislators should consider supporting Cuomo’s Compassionate Care Act, a bill that is currently before both houses of the State Legislature. The bill has previously passed in the Assembly, but failed to get through the Senate.
To get more legislators on board, the state must implement a “seed to sale” structure, which is included in the Compassionate Care Act. This system tracks the plant, regulates distribution, generates revenue to the state, creates jobs, and provides compassionate care for patients.
In order to prevent black market sales, a provision must be put in place that either allows no individual to grow marijuana on his or her own, or limits an individual to growing for his or herself and one additional person.
Believe it or not, with advancements in the industry, marijuana may not need to be smoked or inhaled to be effective. Now there are all kinds of alternatives, including baked goods and other forms of edibles that contain some components of marijuana and can be effective in treating the disorders listed above.
While states like Washington and Colorado have moved to legalize marijuana entirely, we New Yorkers aren’t ready to head in that direction, and we may never be ready for full legalization. With local stories of teens and young adults dying from overdoses of heroin and other potent drugs, now is not the time to have that conversation.
Marijuana is a much different drug than it was 20 years ago, and we have to learn all the facts about its long-term implications for the health of our young people before we even broach the subject of full legalization.
I believe our legislators should consider supporting Cuomo’s Compassionate Care Act, a bill that is currently before both houses of the State Legislature. The bill has previously passed in the Assembly, but failed to get through the Senate.
To get more legislators on board, the state must implement a “seed to sale” structure, which is included in the Compassionate Care Act. This system tracks the plant, regulates distribution, generates revenue to the state, creates jobs, and provides compassionate care for patients.
In order to prevent black market sales, a provision must be put in place that either allows no individual to grow marijuana on his or her own, or limits an individual to growing for his or herself and one additional person.
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