Legalization of Marijuana headed to New York?

12/6/2012 (Updated 12/7/2012 2:28:27 PM)

BINGHAMTON -- Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan said Thursday he's on board with a fellow Mayor's call to legalize marijuana in New York State.
 
Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick wrote a piece in an Albany newspaper calling for the drug to be legalized.

He said he supports regulation and taxation of the drug, and feels doing so could benefit the state's economy.

On Thursday afternoon, Ryan echoed Myrick's sentiment.

"Certainly there are a lot of people with cancer, glaucoma, Aids and other diseases that seem to really benefit from medical marijuana and they have to take a lot of pills that have a lot of side effects and those who use it for medical purposes report that it is much better than the other medications." said Mayor Ryan.

"We can make a lot of revenue off it, right now it causes a lot of crime because a lot of drug dealers deal pot and other drugs.  We've arrested over 40 million people in the last 40 years in this country and a lot of them went to jail and we spent a lot of money on them being in jail." continued Mayor Ryan.

Thursday, smoking pot became legal in Washington State, although growing and selling the drug there is still a crime.