“The opioid epidemic has claimed too many lives and ripped apart too many families. The evidence is there. States with medical marijuana programs have seen a reduction in opioid use.1 I’m proud to support this measure that will absolutely save lives (A.9016).

“Opioids have wreaked havoc on families across our communities and it’s critical that we allow for more treatment options that can help save more lives. Expanding the use of medical marijuana will help New Yorkers struggling with addiction get on the road to recovery.

“Additionally, in this year’s budget, we also provided more than $200 million in funding to address the heroin and opioid epidemic, including an increase of $26 million to support the state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) to expand treatment programs so that more New Yorkers can access the services they need to take back their lives. I’ll continue to do everything I can in the Assembly to fight the scourge of addiction and support recovery.”

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1. https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/02/health/medical-cannabis-law-opioid-prescription-study/index.html