Medical Marijuana in New York
New York plays a prominent role in the history of marijuana. It has a long account of acceptance and resistance, leading up to its decision not to legalize recreational marijuana in 2019. It is one of 39 states where recreational marijuana is illegal, but people have been able to apply for a Medical Marijuana Card in New York since 2014.
The state is slow to embrace recreational marijuana largely due to its current political condition, which is still tied to its past. Here’s a quick look at the history of marijuana in New York:
- In 1857, an article in the New York Daily News described marijuana as a means to counteract the effects of rabies.
- Marijuana was banned in the whole state in 1927 after several reported incidents of drug-induced violence.
- Amid the hysteria of the 1930’s “reefer madness,” a doctor from the Manhattan Detention Complex called for treatment instead of imprisonment for the city’s marijuana users. Several decades later, articles from the New York Times attributed the strictness of current federal laws involving marijuana to the misguided legislation of this time and called for the legalization of marijuana in New York.
- In 1939, a mayor urged the New York Academy of Medicine to do research refuting the fears surrounding marijuana use. In a report they submitted five years later, typical marijuana users were described as loquacious and having philosophizing thoughts on various subjects in life, without any mention of violent tendencies.
- In 1965, the first pro-marijuana protests took place in front of the New York Women’s House of Detention in Greenwich Village, led by poet Allen Ginsberg.
- Marijuana possession was partially decriminalized in 1977, meting a fine of $100 for up to 25 g of marijuana to minimize the number of arrests due to possession.
The bill legalizing medical marijuana was passed in 2014, but not without resistance. A Senate vote of 49-10 sealed the deal after a long and emotional debate. And the state’s Department of Health was given 18 months to come up with a program on how to make medical marijuana available to patients.
Now, there are over 100,000 holders of Medical Marijuana Card in New York. But doctors and patients alike are still pushing for wider accessibility to cover more illnesses and additional research to explore more ways to optimize the medical benefits of marijuana.
Other sectors support recreational marijuana for medical use, which is already legal in 11 states. Recreational marijuana supporters in New York were hopeful that 2019 would be the year that legalization of marijuana will finally get over the hump, but as the deadline before voting approached, negotiations between the opposing sides failed, and legalization was not passed.
What Is Next for Medical Marijuana in New York?
The general sentiment is that the bill created in 2104 and in its current form is not enough to meet the needs of patients. While it does allow the use of medical marijuana for people with severely debilitating and life-threatening conditions such as cancer, HIV or AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy, among others, these conditions have to be accompanied by one or more complicating conditions such as severe or chronic pain or seizures.
Some legislators are sympathetic to patients suffering from various illnesses who could benefit from medical marijuana. They are currently hard at work, so more people can have access to a Medical Marijuana Card in New York. A bill has been introduced in the senate and currently underway to the governor’s office, which would remove some restrictions and allow more patients to have access to medical marijuana.
