NY refuses to loosen up strict medical marijuana rules
Published on 3/31/15
The New York state Health Department issued it's final regulations for the state's medical marijuana program this week. The program is expected to start next year, though many are upset by the limited list of illlnesses that are covered for medical marijuana. These conditions include: cancer, HIV/AIDS, Lou Gehrig's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord damage, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disorder, neuropathies and Huntington's disease. The bill is however written to allow the state's health commissioner authority to include other conditions to the list.
"Expanding the initial set of regulations would have subjected the State to unnecessary scrutiny and jeopardized the program's ability to move forward in any meaningful manner," the health department said.
The state has not started accepting applications yet from organizations that want to produce marijuana in New York. The health department said it will publish information soon on its website about the application process
