A bill to legalize medical marijuana in New York cleared a major hurdle in Albany Tuesday as the Senate Health Committee passed the Compassionate Care Act by a slim, bipartisan vote of 9 to 8. “This vote is an enormous milestone in our quest to bring safe and reliable medical marijuana treatment to patients all across our state,” said the bill’s sponsor, state Senator Diane Savino (D-Staten Island), in a statement. “Today, the Senate has taken a decisive first step in moving this legislation forward.”
