By Barry Bard
New York’s fledgling medical marijuana program just received a much-needed jolt.
Since adding chronic pain to the state’s list of qualifying medical conditions for cannabis in late March, over 3,300 New Yorkers have received medical marijuana cards.
New York’s total number of medical marijuana patients has risen to over 18,000 cardholders, according to the state’s health department. Moreover, in addition to the new qualifying condition, the Empire State now has over 1,000 doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants able to recommend medical cannabis to patients in need.
New Yorkers who may qualify for the state program can find those medical providers via a public database the state’s Health Department recently published; the listed physicians only make up 32% of the participating physicians who recommend medical cannabis in the state. Prospective New York patients can also find a doctor near them in New York on Weedmaps.
This newfound growth comes at a crucial time for New York: the state’s five licensed vertically integrated cannabis dispensaries are in the red with a surplus of inventory and not enough business. Four of those five businesses just sued the state’s Health Department to attempt to block New York from licensing five additional operation licenses.
As more patients are recommended medical marijuana to treat their chronic pain, New York’s industry should become more sustainable. In response to the program’s growth, Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker stated that his team is “improving access to medical marijuana for patients in need across New York State. As we have said from the very beginning, we will continue to grow this program responsibly and help ease the suffering of those who may benefit from this treatment option.”
New York’s Senate is currently considering a bill to add PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) as the state’s 12th qualifying medical marijuana condition. The addition of PTSD would naturally also increase New York’s suddenly burgeoning cannabis industry.
As spring blooms green, so does the Empire State’s medical marijuana program.
