The New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) recently unveiled a new Medical Cannabis Program certification and registration system that offers ease of use while expanding eligibility criteria.
The program enables practitioner certification of a patient for any condition the practitioner believes can be treated with medical cannabis. The provision providing the practitioner discretion in certifying patients was granted through the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA).
“It is terrific to see the Medical Cannabis Program expand so vastly with the launch of the new certification and registration program and the ability of practitioners to determine qualifying conditions as included in the MRTA,” Cannabis Control Board Chair Tremaine Wright said. “The new cannabis industry is taking shape as we continue to implement the MRTA and provide greater access for New Yorkers to a medicine that we’re learning more about every day.”
Wright said the system launch is on the heels of adding whole flower medical product sales, permanently waiving $50 patient fees, and advancing home cultivation regulations.
“Launching the new patient certification and registration system and expanding eligibility for the Medical Cannabis Program are significant steps forward for our program. We will continue to implement the MRTA and ensure that all New Yorkers who can benefit from medical cannabis have the access they need to do so,” said OCM Executive Director Chris Alexander. “It’s important for New Yorkers to know that even as we shift the medical program to the OCM, your access will not be disrupted, and the program will continue to expand.”