cannabisnews.com: Golisano Proposes Medicinal Use of Marijuana Golisano Proposes Medicinal Use of Marijuana Posted by CN Staff on October 16, 2002 at 20:19:41 PT By Seanna Adcox, Associated Press Source: Associated Press Independence Party candidate for governor B. Thomas Golisano said Wednesday he wants to make marijuana readily available to terminally ill New Yorkers who want to use the drug for medical purposes. Golisano contended that the pharmaceutical industry has blocked implementation of a 1980 law legalizing medicinal marijuana in New York, the first state nationwide to do so. California and Arizona passed similar laws 16 years later, and six other states, plus the District of Columbia, followed. Proponents claim marijuana relieves pain, reduces nausea and revives the decreased appetite of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and suffering from other diseases such as AIDS. New York discontinued its program in the late 1980s, said Health Department spokesman John Signor. ''George Pataki cannot and will not make medical marijuana available to terminally ill New Yorkers because he is in the pocket of the big drug companies who stand to lose money if medical marijuana is made available,'' Golisano charged. Golisano announced his plan at a news conference with two multiple sclerosis patients at his side. Latham resident Lisa Reiss, 47 years old and weighing only 91 pounds, said marijuana has eased her pain. ''There's not a pill out there that helps you with the excruciating pain,'' said Reiss, whose husband died of AIDS 11 years ago. ''If he hadn't had marijuana, he would've starved to death.'' Pataki, a Republican seeking his third term, said he does not support medical marijuana because patients have other, legal, options to manage pain and counter treatment side effects. ''I talked with our medical professionals about it,'' the governor said during an appearance in Saratoga Springs. ''They're not convinced that there aren't alternatives that aren't a better way for people to deal with pain and with illness.'' The governor's campaign received $44,740 from drug companies in the last three years, while his Democratic challenger H. Carl McCall received $4,000. Also since 1999, the state Republican Committee received $166,125, and state Democrats got $42,448, according to Golisano, citing state Board of Elections filings. McCall said Tuesday he supports medical marijuana. Marijuana Reform Party candidate Thomas Leighton accused Golisano of stealing his issue three weeks before the election. Leighton needs at least 50,000 votes to put his party on the ballot statewide for the next four years, and fears Golisano's new support of medical marijuana could jeopardize that. ''Since my first appearance in the debate, a billionaire has put my words in his mouth,'' Leighton said. ''The voters should not be fooled by 'me too' medical marijuana advocates. This is an act of political opportunism.'' Golisano denied the accusation. ''Definitely, I don't want to steal his issue,'' he said. ''There's a huge difference between me and the Marijuana Reform Party candidate.'' Leighton, as well as the Green and Libertarian Party candidates, want to eventually make marijuana legal for everyone, while Golisano believes marijuana should remain illegal, except when a doctor recommends it for medicinal purposes. ''We should maintain the heavily controlled status of marijuana,'' Golisano said. ''Its illicit use should remain a serious crime.'' Green Party candidate Stanley Aronowitz advocates the decriminalization of all drugs. ''Legalization of marijuana, and the end to the war on drugs, are long overdue,'' said Green Party Chairman Mark Dunlea. ''Having Mr. Golisano run television ads on this issue will help generate much-needed momentum.'' Tom Constantine, former head of the Drug Enforcement Agency and New York State Police, said the pro-marijuana candidates were being ''irresponsible.'' They ''are sending the message to young, impressionable people that marijuana is not a dangerous substance,'' he told Albany radio station WROW Wednesday. ''They've decided it is a medicine.'' The New York State Nurses Association supports medical marijuana. ''The justification is that patients could benefit from this,'' said association spokeswoman Anne Schott. ''It would help patients in situations where nothing else works as well.'' AP Writer Chris Carola contributed to this report from Saratoga Springs. Source: Associated Press Author: Seanna Adcox, Associated PressPublished: Wednesday, October 16, 2002Copyright: 2002 Associated Press Related Articles & Web Sites:Marijuana Reform Party of N.Y.http://www.marijuanareform.org/Golisano Medical Marijuana Press Releasehttp://golisano.com/press/MedicalMarijuana.htmMcCall & Golisano Want Medical Marijuana Debatehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14467.shtmlFormat Leaves Little Room For Debatehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14451.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by FoM on October 17, 2002 at 20:23:22 PT Related Article from Snipped Paper Golisano Touts Medical Pot Albany -- Billionaire says marijuana use can ease chronic sufferingBy James M. Odato, Capitol Bureau Published: Thursday, October 17, 2002 http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=62372&category=GOVRACE&BCCode=&newsdate=10/17/2002 [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on October 17, 2002 at 15:50:45 PT Golisano's Medical Marijuana Commercial I just saw the medical marijuana commercial on Fox News. I hope you all get to see it too. He attacks Pataki and McCall on the money they receive from big pharmaceutical companies. That was good and so very true. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by MikeEEEEE on October 16, 2002 at 20:36:40 PT What the anti's know The antis running the show, not the brain washed types, know it's all about the $$$$$$. But it's only a matter of time before the truth wins, it always does. The wall of prohibition is coming down like the Berlin wall. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment