Cuomo lays claim to a medical-marijuana camel

Jimmy Vielkind and Laura Nahmias

ALBANY—Governor Andrew Cuomo insists his support for medicinal marijuana wasn't an evolution, but a win.

“Last year, I didn't support medical marijuana because it has never been discussed with these kind of protections, and I was totally against setting up a system that could have unintended consequences,” Cuomo, a Democrat, said during an afternoon press conference to explain and take credit for about the bill.

The event was probably as close as Cuomo will get to a dramatic announcement at the end of this legislative session, which is wrapping up after a slow, final glide. The unfinished progressive priorities Cuomo set for himself after negotiating the state budget and in the State of the State were mere afterthoughts in the last week, when lawmakers instead focused on some lower-hanging fruit: a package to combat the heroin epidemic, a pause on Common Core-based teacher evaluations and a bill to let New York City reduce its speed limit to 25 m.p.h.

“It's like Dazed and Confused,” one lawmaker said. “Heroin, pot, speeding and schools.”

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/albany/2014/06/8547623/cuomo-lays-claim-medical-marijuana-camel