New York Senate Approves Bill Protecting Medical Marijuana Patients From Eviction

The New York Senate has passed a bill to prevent tenants from being evicted solely because of their legal use of medical marijuana.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Anna Kaplan (D), cleared the chamber in a 58-2 vote on Tuesday.

It states that a “tenant shall not be removed from possession of a residential unit pursuant to this article because of such person’s certified medical use of medical marihuana.”

“It shall be a defense to a proceeding to recover possession of a residential unit that a landlord seeks such recovery because of a person’s certified medical use of medical marihuana, and that, but for such use, the landlord would not seek to recover possession,” it continues. “A landlord may rebut such defense by showing that he or she seeks to recover possession of a residential unit because of any other lawful ground.”