Today: New York State Assembly to Vote on Compassionate Care Act – New York’s Comprehensive Medical Marijuana Bill

Albany – Today, The New York State Assembly will vote on the Compassionate Care Act — A.6357-B (Gottfried), New York’s comprehensive medical marijuana bill. The bill will help provide relief to thousands of New Yorker’s who are currently suffering with debilitating medical conditions such as, cancer, multiple sclerosis, severe seizure disorders, and other serious conditions. Traveling from New York City, Westchester, and Central New York, patients will gather in Albany for an advocacy day and to hear the Assembly debate and vote on the bill. The bill would create one of the nation’s most tightly regulated medical marijuana programs and allow patients with seriously and debilitating conditions  to access marijuana under the supervision of their healthcare provider.

What: Compassionate Care NY Advocacy Day

When: Tuesday, March 27^th – Assembly Session at 2 PM – Patients and Caregivers Available for Comment Immediately Following the Vote

Location: New York State Capitol, Outside Assembly Chamber, Albany, NY

Who (patient and providers, including):   

• Holly Anderson, Rochester — Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester
• Dawn Carney – Mount Vernon  – Person living with HIV/AIDS
• Nancy Rivera – Troy – Grandmother and four-time cancer survivor
• Donna Romano– Syracuse  –  MS patient
• Kate Hintz – North Salem- Mother of Morgan, who suffers from a severe and life-threatening seizure disorder
• Wanda Hernandez – New York City – Person living with HIV/AIDS
• Cindy Tangney –  Chester – Grandmother of child with severe seizure disorder; the family recently had to relocate to CO to get their medicine

Momentum for the Compassionate Care Act continues to build. A poll from Quinnipiac University released last week found that a super majority (83%) of New York voters support medical marijuana. The Assembly has passed the bill by wide margins four times and included the Compassionate Care Act in their budget bill earlier this session. Last week, the Senate Health  Committee voted in favor of the senate version of the bill (S.4406-B/ Savino) and advanced it to the Finance Committee. The bill has strong bipartisan support in the Senate: Republicans Senator John Bonacic (R-Middletown), Senator George Maziarz (R – Newfane), Senator Mark Grisanti (R, IP – Buffalo), Senator Tim O’Mara (R, C – Big Flats, Elmira) and bill co-sponsor, Senator Joe Robach (R, C, IP – Rochester) have all expressed their support.

Patients and caregivers will be in Albany every week between now and the end of session to demand legislators take up the issue.

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