Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Drug Policy
Showing Original Post only (View all)NY State Limited Medical Marijuana Bill Gets Okay From Cuomo [View all]
A bill brought by two democrats, Senator Diane Savino (Staten Island) and Assemblyman Richard Gottfried (Manhattan), received a "go-ahead" by Gov. Cuomo, after only two decades of such attempts.
The bill, which still requires a vote by the state Legislature, will permit only doctors to prescribe marijuana in forms including oil-based and vapor to individuals with conditions including cancer, AIDS, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis.
But it won't legalize smokable forms of the drug, making it much narrower in scope than many other medical-marijuana legalization laws around the country. And it will allow the governor, upon recommendation by the state police superintendent or the state health commissioner, to suspend the program at any time.
While the bill's sponsors and patient advocates had pushed to permit smokable pot, Mr. Cuomo in recent days expressed concern about curbing what he described as marijuana's potential to become a "gateway" drug, a worry that was shared by some Republicansincluding Senate Majority Coalition Co-leader Dean Skeloswhose votes were critical to the legislation's success.
The marijuana bill marks the rare occasion in which a piece of high-profile legislation will make its way to the governor's desk without a lengthy record of his fingerprints. While Mr. Cuomo exerted significant influence over the final product, the administration didn't become involved in shaping the bill until very late in the process, instead advocating for the governor's pilot program to introduce medical marijuana trials in a handful of state hospitals.
But it won't legalize smokable forms of the drug, making it much narrower in scope than many other medical-marijuana legalization laws around the country. And it will allow the governor, upon recommendation by the state police superintendent or the state health commissioner, to suspend the program at any time.
While the bill's sponsors and patient advocates had pushed to permit smokable pot, Mr. Cuomo in recent days expressed concern about curbing what he described as marijuana's potential to become a "gateway" drug, a worry that was shared by some Republicansincluding Senate Majority Coalition Co-leader Dean Skeloswhose votes were critical to the legislation's success.
The marijuana bill marks the rare occasion in which a piece of high-profile legislation will make its way to the governor's desk without a lengthy record of his fingerprints. While Mr. Cuomo exerted significant influence over the final product, the administration didn't become involved in shaping the bill until very late in the process, instead advocating for the governor's pilot program to introduce medical marijuana trials in a handful of state hospitals.
NY State will be the only state, other than Minnesota, that prohibits smoked marijuana for medical use, among those who currently have medical marijuana laws. This regressive stance was at the insistence of Gov. Cuomo.
This legislation went forward in spite of Cuomo's attempt to introduce an even more limited medical marijuana measure based upon a 1980s provision for research at hospitals. In May, the bill was introduced in the New York State Assembly. The only Democrat to vote against the bill was Sen. Simcha Felder, a Democrat who caucuses with the GOP (aka a DINO).
While Gov. Cuomo's concerns about marijuana becoming a gateway drug are quaint, they're unfounded and considered the equivalent of junk within the scientific community.
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/marijuana-is-gateway-drug-theory-debunked-again
For decades, prohibitionists have claimed that marijuana is a gateway drug that inevitably leads to use of harder substances like heroin and cocaine despite the fact that every objective study ever done on the gateway theory has determined that its absolute crap.
Last week, researchers at the University of New Hampshire released yet another study discrediting the gateway theory. Their findings, based on survey data from more than 1,200 students in Florida public schools, showed that a persons likelihood to use harder drugs has more to do with social and environmental factors than whether or not theyve ever tried marijuana.
For decades, prohibitionists have claimed that marijuana is a gateway drug that inevitably leads to use of harder substances like heroin and cocaine despite the fact that every objective study ever done on the gateway theory has determined that its absolute crap.
Last week, researchers at the University of New Hampshire released yet another study discrediting the gateway theory. Their findings, based on survey data from more than 1,200 students in Florida public schools, showed that a persons likelihood to use harder drugs has more to do with social and environmental factors than whether or not theyve ever tried marijuana.
The era in which someone lives also determines whether people use a variety of illicit drugs. When Nixon and Reagan were in office, the use of other drugs soared. When Clinton was in office, the use of MDMA was the other predominant substance. Wall Street long had cocaine delivered to offices with nary a whimper, but even this group is moving on to adderall, which they can easily obtain with a doctor's prescription without so much as a blink of the eye by the powers that be. But they're captains of industry and wolves and all that other garbage moneyfakers say about themselves.
New Hampshire study: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-09/uonh-rom083110.php
Whether teenagers who smoked pot will use other illicit drugs as young adults has more to do with life factors such as employment status and stress, according to the new research. In fact, the strongest predictor of whether someone will use other illicit drugs is their race/ethnicity, not whether they ever used marijuana.
The researchers found that the strongest predictor of other illicit drug use appears to be race-ethnicity, not prior use of marijuana. Non-Hispanic whites show the greatest odds of other illicit substance use, followed by Hispanics, and then by African Americans.
Whether teenagers who smoked pot will use other illicit drugs as young adults has more to do with life factors such as employment status and stress, according to the new research. In fact, the strongest predictor of whether someone will use other illicit drugs is their race/ethnicity, not whether they ever used marijuana.
The researchers found that the strongest predictor of other illicit drug use appears to be race-ethnicity, not prior use of marijuana. Non-Hispanic whites show the greatest odds of other illicit substance use, followed by Hispanics, and then by African Americans.
Congrats to New York for overcoming the latent reefer madness of Gov. Cuomo. You would think, when considering a life-threatening issue, the Governor would take some time to learn if he were merely repeating the lies of drug warriors or talking about actual potential harm.
Thankfully, the law passed this round in spite of his reliance on outdated thinking that could've come from the mouth of Richard Nixon.
But it's easier to blame an herb, I suppose, than economic structures, as the reason for people turning to drugs. That would require even more actual fact to demonstrate that trickle-down theory is also junk (economic) science. Wouldn't want to upset the big money folks, tho.
The bill is now pending in the legislature.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
3 replies, 2002 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (1)
ReplyReply to this post
3 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies