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Politics & Government

Could Medical Marijuana Help NY Pay Sandy Costs? Report

Gov. Cuomo remains hesitant to push for legalized marijuana despite millions in possible revenue.

Medical marijuana proponents say that licensing fees and taxes could generate hundreds of millions of dollars a year in new revenues for New York State, which is still reeling from Hurricane Sandy bills, according to the New York Daily News.

Earlier this month, top Albany lobbyists partnered with Big Marijuana to push for legalization in New York State, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo is still hesitant to back medicinal pot. 

Cuomo said earlier this year that he believes the risks for medicinal marijuana outweigh the benefits, though he also projected that the state’s budget deficit would grow by $1 billion because of Hurricane Sandy’s destruction.

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Legalized medicinal marijuana is not only a revenue source, but a humane effort to help those suffering from pain caused by cancer and other illnesses, says Gabriel Sayegh, state director for the Drug Policy Alliance, adding that “the time for [legalization] has long passed." 

Some of New York’s border states, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts, have already legalized medicinal marijuana use. 

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