TODAY: Patients, Caregivers and Healthcare Providers from Across NY Travel to Albany to Urge Senate to Pass Comprehensive Medical Marijuana Legislation

Albany – Today, over a dozen patients,  families, caregivers and healthcare providers will gather in Albany to press the State Senate to pass the Compassionate Care Act — A.6357-A (Gottfried) / S.4406-A (Savino) . The patients are living with cancer, multiple sclerosis, severe seizure disorders, and other serious, debilitating medical conditions, and the families include parents of children who suffer from severe forms of epilepsy, such as Dravet’s syndrome.

Travelling from all corners of the State, patients and caregivers are calling on the Senate to pass the Compassionate Care Act – comprehensive legislation that would allow seriously ill New Yorkers access to medical marijuana under the supervision of their healthcare provider.

What:  Patient Lobby Day with patients, healthcare providers, and parents
When:  Wednesday, February 26th
Location:  Senate Chambers Capitol Building Albany, NY

Today’s group includes:

• Tracy Ofri from Long Island, who has advanced multiple sclerosis
• Amy Rising, of Ithaca, a U.S. Air Force veteran, fighting for the right of veterans to use medical cannabis
• The Decker family, who were forced to leave their Kingston home and move to Colorado so their daughter Mabel, who has a serious epileptic seizure disorder, could participate in a workable medical marijuana system
• Dawn Carney from Mt. Vernon, who has been living with HIV for over 20 years
• And many more.

Patients and family members are available throughout the day for interviews.

Momentum is building to pass the comprehensive measure – including among Republicans. Since last week, Senators Mazaiarz, Grisanti and Robach have all announced their support the bill, which would create one of the nation’s most tightly regulated medical marijuana programs, with Maziarz calling for an up-or-down vote. This weekend, Former U.S. Senator Al D’Amato, long an opponent of medical marijuana, stated his new position of support for the Compassionate Care Act in an op-ed that appeared in this weekend’s Long Island Herald.

A super-majority of New York voters – 88% — support allowing patients to access medical marijuana, according to a recent Quinnipiac poll. More than 65 organizations have endorsed New York’s comprehensive medical marijuana bill – the Compassionate Care Act, including new endorses like Us TOO Rochester NY, a peer networking group for men concerned about prostate cancer in Rochester, the Breast Cancer Network of Western New York and the Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes.