According to the bill, medical marijuana patients would be able to use medical marijuana for the therapeutic purpose only with a recommendation from their physician.

There are more than a dozen of serious diseases approved for medical marijuana treatment including cancer, diabetes, HIV, epilepsy, post traumatic stress, arthritis. Patients suffering from these diseases would be allowed to possess up to 2.5 ounce of medical marijuana. Licensed not-for-profit and for-profit facilities would be allowed to cultivate and sell medical marijuana for qualified patients.

Those patients, who are not state-registered, would be able to use an affirmative defense of a need of such treatment in court.

Sienna Research Institute poll of 2013 has demonstrated that 82% of New York residents support medical marijuana legalization in case the treatment is approved by a physician.

Nevertheless, Senate Co-Leader Dean Skelos (R – Nassau County) and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg are still against medical marijuana legalization.

source: thedailychronic.net