Advocates Rally for Passage of Medical Marijuana Bill

Patients and caregivers collected signatures and handed out flyers at the Garden City train station Friday afternoon, advocating for the passage of New York's medical marijuana bill.

At least 50 signatures were collected in the first hour.

“We hit the streets of Long Island today to urge our neighbors to support the bill and to show our leaders in Albany how badly this legislation is needed,” Long Island resident Tracy Ofri, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1978, said.

Ofri runs a support group for people living with MS on Long Island. "Like me, many of the members want the option of talking to their doctors and using medical marijuana to help ease pain and spasticity when other treatments fail. It’s time for our leaders in Albany to listen to the voters and show some compassion,” she said.

Fellow activist Vivien Foldes, a cancer survivor who also lives with multiple sclerosis, sad she came out to urge the New York Senate to "show compassion" for her and the thousands of other people in New York who could benefit from medical marijuana.

The Compassionate Care Act would make a small quantity of medical marijuana available to seriously ill patients under the supervision of their healthcare practitioner.

Eighteen states and the District Columbia have already passed laws creating legal access to medical marijuana for seriously ill patients.