Hurricane Sandy Debt Used to Push Medical Marijuana in New York State

With parts of New York still suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, could legalizing medical marijuana be the answer for a surplus in the economy?

According to the New York Daily News, proponents of pot as a medicine have renewed their push for legalization, arguing that licensing fees and taxes could generate hundreds of millions of dollars a year in new revenues.

On the pro-weed side, state Senator Diane Savino said, “There is a huge amount of revenue here." Patrick McCarthy of the firm Patricia Lynch Associates seemed to agree, adding, "[Marijuana] has real economic impact."

However, Governor Cuomo felt otherwise. Here's what he had to say regarding the legalization of medicinal marijuana:

“I understand the benefits, but there are also risks, and I think the risks outweigh the benefits at this point." - Cuomo

The NY Daily News report claims Cuomo wants more research into the matter in order to prove that legalizing medical marijuana will help people with problems such as cancer and multiple sclerosis, yet not increase drug abuse and criminal activity. The push is currently on the legislature and the governor to draft and pass a bill for legalization.

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