Brooklyn native Bernie Sanders and former New York senator Hillary Clinton both voiced support for marijuana law reform during the Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, New York State is readying implementation of its medical marijuana law, which continues to be criticized for its restrictiveness. New York’s Compassionate Care Act is among the most conservative medical marijuana laws among the states that have legalized it, and it may even be a bit behind the progressive values of mainstream national Democratic candidates, which is something of a shocker.

“Despite differing specifics on marijuana policy, nearly every presidential candidate — Democrat and Republican — has now offered support for the continuation of state policy reforms,” says Aaron Smith, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association. “Given that the 2016 election is likely to result in several new states with legal medical or adult-use marijuana programs, that’s a critical piece of progress.”

Read more: http://www.villagevoice.com/news/is-new-york-behind-the-democratic-presidential-candidates-on-pot-7787955