A Judge's Personal Plea for Marijuana A bill that would allow the medical use of marijuana has been passed repeatedly by the New York Assembly, which is controlled by Democrats, but has been doomed in the State Senate, which is controlled by Republicans. The Legislature is considering the bill again in its current session. A Supreme Court judge in Brooklyn, in an article Thursday on The Times's Op-Ed page, makes his support for the bill personal. The judge, Gustin L. Riechbach, writes that he is battling pancreatic cancer and that inhaling marijuana, which is provided to him by friends, alleviates his nausea, stimulates his appetite and helps him sleep at night. The judge notes that 16 other states, including New Jersey, have adopted laws allowing the use of marijuana for medical reasons. And he writes about the risk of openly discussing his decision to break the laws of New York.