New York doctors can now prescribe medical cannabis for any condition

As New York prepares for the launch of its adult cannabis market, theOffice of Cannabis Management The state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced on January 24 a significant expansion of the existing medical cannabis program.

From now on, doctors will be able to issue prescriptions for medical cannabis for any condition that, in their opinion, could be treated with cannabis, rather than relying on a list of specific eligible conditions. This change is provided for in the state law on the regulation and taxation of marijuana (Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, MRTA), which legalized cannabis for adult use last year.

«It’s wonderful to see the medical cannabis program expand so significantly with the launch of the new certification and registration program and the ability for practitioners to determine eligibility criteria, as provided for in the MRTA,« said Tremaine Wright, president of the Cannabis Control Board (CCB), in a press release.

«The new cannabis industry is taking shape as we continue to implement the MRTA and provide New Yorkers with greater access to a medicine we’re learning more about every day,» Wright said. «We continue to move forward quickly, and today’s launch builds on our achievements, which already include the addition of the sale of medical products made from whole flowers, the permanent elimination of the 50 fee for patients and progress on regulations regarding home cultivation, among other things.»

Last year, the CCB voted unanimously in favor of a policy change aimed at allow patients in the state to grow cannabis medical use for personal purposes.

«We will continue to implement the MRTA and ensure that all New Yorkers who can benefit from medical cannabis have the access they need.»