Cuomo announces agreement on medicinal marijuana in NYS

Updated: 06/19/2014 6:50 PM
Created: 06/19/2014 4:08 PM WNYT.com
By: Ben Gorenstein

ALBANY – Governor Andrew Cuomo says a bill has been reached to legalize medicinal marijuana in New York State.
Under the agreement which was announced Thursday afternoon, doctors would have to be legally certified to administer it, and patients would have to legally certify it is for medicinal purposes.
There are also fail-safes in place, which allow the governor to pull the program if anything goes wrong.
During the press conference, the governor called the legislation one of the toughest that’s been completed in the past four years.
He credits the legislature for being able to find common ground to help make the bill work.
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Unlike some other states, the bill would not allow patients to smoke marijuana, which had been opposed by Cuomo. Instead, other forms of delivering the drug -- including oil-based extracts and vaporization -- would be authorized.

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Report: Cuomo to legalize medical marijuana in N.Y.

The governor will make the announcement during his State of the State address on Wednesday, the New York Times reported.

The move would be a shift for Cuomo, who is up for re-election in November. As recently as April, he voiced opposition to the idea, questioning whether it could be properly regulated. But he also has said that he would keep an open mind on the issue, saying it is an "evolving one."