Bipartisan legislation introduced in New York to expedite access to medical marijuana for critically ill patients
Patients, family members and activists stood with legislators today as they announced the introduction of Assembly bill A.7060 that would direct the state to establish a program to help critically ill patients obtain emergency access to medical marijuana as soon as possible. The bill, introduced by Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard N. Gottfried and Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb, comes 298 days after Governor Cuomo signed the medical marijuana bill into law on July 5, and nine months after the Governor urged the Health Commissioner to do everything in his power to get medical marijuana to children suffering from life-threatening forms of epilepsy. To date, not one patient has received medical marijuana, and at least three children who might have benefitted from medical marijuana, have died since the bill was passed.
“This bill would create emergency access to medical marijuana for patients with the most urgent needs – including children suffering from severe epilepsy,” said Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard N. Gottfried, sponsor of the original medical marijuana bill. “Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb and I introducing this bill shows the broad, bipartisan support for emergency access. It is good and compassionate public health policy. If ever there was a basis for emergency action, the suffering of these children is it.”
“Thousands of patients in New York State deal with excruciating pain each day and simply can’t wait for the wheels of government to turn. Bureaucracy should not stand in the way of relief for people suffering from debilitating illnesses and diseases,” Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb said. “Assistance is well within reach. The Department of Health must be diligent in building the medical marijuana program, but that does not preclude the state from offering immediate assistance to people in dire need.”
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