MARIJUANA BILL HAS SAFEGUARDS

Re "Marijuana bill has many flaws," Friday letter:

This writer's description of pending medical-marijuana legislation in
Albany is seriously flawed. The bill before the Legislature is based
on the state's Controlled Substances Act, the law that regulates the
sale and use of dangerous narcotics. Consistent with that law, a
dispenser of the drug must get a license from the Department of
Health, just as a pharmacy would. Dispensers must have no criminal
background; clear a character and competency check; prove they are
capable of complying with state laws; and document the steps they will
take to keep the drug secure. Because the law gives the Department of
Health the power to license (and limit) dispensers, problems other
states have faced regarding dispensary placement and over-saturation
will be avoided.

To access medicinal marijuana under the New York bill, a patient must
have a doctor's approval and be diagnosed with a "severe debilitating
or life-threatening condition." Information regarding the use of
medicinal marijuana, including the patient's diagnosis, the amount to
be used and patient/physician identifying information, must be given
to the Department of Health. This is designed to avoid abuse and
mirrors the system currently used when prescribing other dangerous
drugs in New York.

Rather than lacking safeguards, New York's proposed law would be
stricter than any in the nation. It avoids the mistakes of other
states, which is why it's been endorsed by the professional
associations in Albany that advocate on behalf of the state's doctors,
nurses and pharmacists.

Vincent N. Marrone

Larchmont

The writer is a lobbyist in Albany, and has worked on this bill for
the past eight years.