God Save the Queen and Her Stash of CBD
by Kat Helgeson
New York medical marijuana has the potential to bring in between $16.8 and $100.8 million in revenue in a single year.
Until 2017, the process for getting a medical marijuana license in New York was difficult, time-consuming and expensive. Today, it’s a lot easier to apply and access if you qualify for medical marijuana use. So how exactly do you go about doing that?
If you’re a candidate, New York medical marijuana laws aren’t too difficult to navigate. In this guide, we’ll explain all the ins and outs. After reading through this, you’ll be well on your way to getting the treatment you need.
Cannabis, in all forms, is still considered a Schedule I drug. It’s illegal under the Controlled Substances Act.
However, 29 states, including New York, now have medical cannabis laws. These laws make marijuana legal for adult medicinal use. And that number is likely to grow as more organizations and doctors get on board.
The American Public Health Association is in favor of granting access to medicinal marijuana under a doctor’s supervision. The American Cancer Society and supports research into the benefits of medical marijuana. The Federation of American Scientists is supportive as well.
The legal status of medical marijuana is likely to change in the near future. But for now, it’s still illegal at the federal level.
Recreational marijuana in New York state is illegal. However, it’s been decriminalized since 1977.
Anybody caught carrying up to 25 grams of pot will result in a fine. The stipulation is that it can’t be publicly visible.
If you’re caught smoking marijuana in public, the law is different. Smoking marijuana in a public place is considered a misdemeanor and can result in a year of jail time.
Although Governor Andrew Cuomo has asked for studies to examine the effects of legalizing marijuana in New York, for now, the laws remain the same as they have been since the 1970’s.
The Compassionate Care Act was signed into law in July of 2014. It made New York the 23rd state to legalize marijuana for medicinal use.
Today, the program has over 50,000 patients.
It’s still illegal to grow marijuana in your own home with a medical marijuana license. It’s also illegal to smoke the marijuana flower.
The age requirement for qualifying for a license is 21. Those under 21 requiring a license can have a parent or legal guardian apply under their name.
Medical marijuana is available to those with the following severe or life-threatening conditions:
Under a July 2018 amendment, some people may be able to receive a prescription for medical marijuana as an opioid-substitute.
The process for application was difficult until 2017. In that year, a company from California began using Senate Bill 2405 to consult, assess, diagnose, educate, and treat medical marijuana patients online and through telehealth.
As a result, potential medical marijuana patients can receive a recommendation from a qualified physician in as little as 30 minutes.
The first step if you’re applying for medical marijuana is to get a copy of your medical records from your regular physician. This will speed up the process of your recommendation.
If you’re a qualifying candidate, the physician will provide you with a certification. However, this isn’t enough to buy medical marijuana from a dispensary.
After receiving your certification you have to register yourself as a patient with the Medical Marijuana Program. You can do this online through the Patient Registration System.
It’s possible to have your doctor complete the registration for you. Or, you can log on to my.ny.gov and register yourself. Approval generally takes up to 10 business days.
When you receive your medical marijuana card, you’re able to buy your treatment from a legal dispensary.
There are over 20 legal dispensaries in the state of New York. Some of the bigger ones include:
It’s important to note that legal dispensaries don’t sell the marijuana for smoking. This is still considered illegal in New York state.
You can purchase capsules, oil, tinctures, topical ointment, and transdermal patches.
There are a few costs involved in getting your medical marijuana license.
The medical marijuana card itself costs $50. This application fee is non-refundable.
Your consultation with a physician will also carry a cost. Typically, consultation with consenting physicians can cost between $99 and $299.
Prices for the various forms of medical marijuana from a legal dispensary will vary depending on the dispensary, what you’re purchasing, and the variances of CBD and THC in the product.
However, the prices for New York medical marijuana are typically higher than typical street value. Unregulated products cost less on the black market than they do in a legal dispensary.
The dispensary business is strictly regulated in New York. Only 5 of the 43 companies that applied for certification back in 2014 were granted permission to operate.
All applicants had to pay a $10,000 application fee on top of a $200,000 deposit for consideration. They already had to have a location to dispense from, a business plan and staff before applying.
The chances of opening your own dispensary are slim. The five companies that currently operated in New York state are protective of their businesses. So much so that they sued when New York state attempted to register an additional five companies for operation.
New York medical marijuana helps treat people with severe, debilitating, and life-threatening conditions that can’t find the help they desire from other treatments. More and more states are recognizing the therapeutic benefits of cannabis for these individuals.
This blog was originally written by Anthony Dutcher but has been updated with new information as states continue to change their regulations nationwide. Looking to find your medical cannabis in a state that hasn’t yet legalized it? It may be tempting to drive across neighboring state lines with more cannabis-friendly laws. However, the number of states…
Transporting cannabis is a tricky business, thanks in large part to the fact that cannabis is still illegal at the federal level. Even when you’re transporting cannabis from a state where it’s legal to another state where it’s legal—for example, driving across the border from California to Oregon—there’s a chance you might run into trouble….
Note: Veriheal does not support or endorse any political candidate or their policies. We merely report on the facts as they are presented and their implications in regards to cannabis. The state of California has a very lucrative illicit cannabis market despite legalizing it long ago, but proposed legislation might help the state combat it….
Asthma can cause permanent lung damage due to persistent coughing and wheezing- which is exactly why patients should take preventative measures to minimize coughing and wheezing. A recently published study, which includes a survey, found that a surprising amount of asthma patients smoke cannabis, despite the fact that it may induce coughing. The cannabinoids from…
Vaporizers such as vaping pens have become popular methods of cannabis consumption, especially since cannabis legalization gained ground over the last couple of years. Shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the globe, America was facing a vaping epidemic they referred to as EVALI, which stands for “E-cigarette or Vaping product use Associated Lung Injury”. There…
Jamaica is facing a major cannabis shortage. Spanish Town, Port Antonio, Montego Bay, and the island capital, Kingston, are all running short…
Note: Veriheal does not support illegally consuming therapeutic substances like cannabis and psilocybin but acknowledges that it transpires because of the current…
The cannabinoids from the cannabis plant are some of the most intriguing and complex compounds found in plants. It has been known…
