Limited access to medical marijuana was given a final approval by New York state lawmakers on Friday, making it the 23rd state to make the drug available for therapeutic purposes.
The 49 to 10 vote in the State Senate came one day after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a deal with lawmakers that balances public health and safety concerns, Reuters reported. The measure was then passed by the State Assembly by a vote of 117 to 13 in the early morning hours of Friday.
The program, regulated by the state's Department of Health, bars smoking of marijuana but allows it to be eaten or vaporized, with the inclusion of a "fail-safe" provision that grants the governor a right to stop the program at any given time.
"Medical marijuana has long enjoyed strong support from the liberal state assembly, which has been passing versions of it since the 1990s," according to Reuters. "But the bill faced heavy opposition in the state senate, where Republicans have a power sharing agreement with a breakaway group of Democrats."
A provision that requires recommendations for medical marijuana be made only by physicians who have undertaken a training course, excluding the likes of physician assistants and nurse practitioners, have faced objections from advocates.
An earlier draft would have allowed smoking of the drug, which can provide faster relief, but that was taken out in order to win Republican support, including that of Republican leader Dean Skelos, who voted in favor of the measure on Friday after a long opposition.
"If you were to tell me at the beginning of this session that I would be voting 'yes' on this legislation, I would say to you, 'no way,'" Skelos said during a lengthy floor debate.
"We should be a little bit more compassionate and a little bit more understanding of the journey others are having," he said.
Thousands of New York patients suffering from serious and debilitating conditions, including cancer, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy would be granted relief, said The Drug Policy Alliance, a group that has lobbied aggressively for the bill.
"This is a huge step for patients in New York who will benefit from this legislation," said the group's New York State director, Gabriel Sayegh.
"This bill is far from perfect," he added. "But if implemented quickly and effectively, this program will help thousands of sick and suffering New Yorkers, who need help now."
