New York To Legalize Medical Marijuana — As Long As You’re Not Smoking It

New York is just about ready to legalize medical marijuana in the state for patients with serious illnesses — and no, your cousin Chad’s extreme boredom is not an illness — as long as patients aren’t smoking the stuff.

Governor Andrew Cuomo and other legislative leaders have come up with an agreement that lets doctors prescribe marijuana to patients with cancer, AIDS and epilepsy, but will require that prescription to be filled in non-smokeable form, ostensibly to ward against recreational users from cheating the system.

According to The Journal News, Cuomo called the medical pot agreement “the best of both worlds,” because patients who need it can have it, but the program won’t be abused, it’s hoped.

“There are certainly significant medical benefits that can be garnered,” Cuomo said during a news conference Thursday. “At the same time, it’s a difficult issue because there are also risks that have to be averted — public-health risks, public-safety risks — and we believe this bill strikes the right balance.”

Lawmwakers are expected to approve the bill soon, with the aim of having the medical-marijuana program up and running within 18 months. The marijuana will be taxed at 7% of gross sales.

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