Council votes for medical pot bill

March 1, 2012 | Filed under: News | Posted by:
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BY PAUL DeRIENZO  |  The New York City Council passed a resolution by voice vote Wednesday calling on the New York State Legislature to pass a pair of bills that would legalize the medicinal use of marijuana. There were at least three dissenting votes. One vote came from Councilmember Peter F. Vallone Jr. (Democrat, of Astoria), who claimed the measure would be a “prescription for disaster.” Vallone said if medical marijuana is legalized it could be “sold near schools.”

But the resolution’s sponsor,  Councilmember Danny Dromm (Democrat, of Jackson Heights), countered Vallone, asserting that the current law “criminalizes” cancer patients and others with serious illnesses who benefit from marijuana.

Also casting no votes were Vincent Ignizio (Republican, of Staten Island) and Vincent Gentile (Democrat, of Bay Ridge).
Abstaining was Fernando Cabrera (Democrat, of the West Bronx).

Languishing in Albany, the medical marijuana legislation has passed the Assembly twice but is stalled in the Republican-controlled state Senate.

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