New York authorizes cannabis flower for its medical program

The 151,000 New York patients who have already been treated with cannabis will soon have access to cannabis flower for the first time.

The Cannabis Control Board The state board met for the first time on Tuesday, marking the regulators’ first step toward establishing New York’s future adult-use cannabis industry. One of the first items on the agenda was a vote to immediately expand the state’s medical cannabis program to include the sale of flower, which had previously been prohibited.

Other changes to the state’s medical program: the limit on cannabis purchases has been extended from 30 days to 60 days; any physician authorized to prescribe controlled substances may now certify a patient for medical cannabis; and the $50 registration fee for patients and caregivers has now been permanently eliminated.

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the law on the regulation and taxation of marijuana (MRTA) in March, after years of fruitless negotiations with the bill’s sponsors. The bill legalized cannabis for adult use and also expanded the state’s existing medical cannabis and hemp programs.

Chris Alexander, executive director of the’Office of Cannabis Management said he was «very optimistic that the approval of the whole flower will increase patient participation in the program due to the lower cost of the product.»

Patient-administered self-cultures, however, were not on the agenda; the Cannabis Control Board (CCB) failed to meet the deadlines for working on it.

«We missed the first deadline,» said Tremaine Wright, who heads the CCB. «Nevertheless, we are very committed to drafting these regulations and submitting them for public comment, and we expect them to be on the agenda for one of the board’s upcoming meetings.»