Get Your Medical Marijuana Card in New York

New York’s medical marijuana program opened in July of 2014, and Veriheal was quick to jump on board and begin certifying patients to use marijuana legally. When Gov. Cuomo signed the Compassionate Care Act (S7923), which created legal protection for patients and caregivers by authorizing the state to license and regulate registered organizations to cultivate and ultimately sell medical cannabis to patients. Patients must obtain a physical identification card from the NY DOH after getting written certification from their physician, of which Veriheal will guide you through the entire process from start to finish.

In order to certify patients for the use of medical marijuana, physicians are required to take an educational course on the program and the use of marijuana, have medical expertise in the qualifying condition for which they can recommend cannabis, and finally, they must provide continuous care to the patient. Physicians will also explicitly state the dosage on the patient’s recommendation, which determines the 30-day supply of medicine that the patient may possess.

In order to certify patients for the use of medical marijuana, physicians are required to take an educational course on the program and the use of marijuana, have medical expertise in the qualifying condition for which they can recommend cannabis, and finally, they must provide continuous care to the patient. Physicians will also explicitly state the dosage on the patient’s recommendation, which determines the 30-day supply of medicine that the patient may possess.

Patients must be certified by a state-licensed health care practitioner and must have a severe debilitating or life-threatening illness for which cannabis is likely to provide a benefit. Keep in mind that if you are not approved, for whatever reason, Veriheal will refund you in full for the appointment. However, you are more than likely eligible for medical marijuana if you have been diagnosed with one or more of the following severe debilitating or life-threatening conditions:

• Cancer
• HIV infection or AIDS
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Parkinson’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Spinal cord injury with spasticity
• Epilepsy
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Neuropathy
• Huntington’s disease
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Chronic Pain
• Any condition for which an opioid could be prescribed (provided that the precise underlying condition is expressly stated on the patient’s certification).

The severe, debilitating or life-threatening condition must also be accompanied by one or more of the following associated or complicating conditions:

• Cachexia or wasting syndrome
• Severe or chronic pain
• Severe nausea
• Seizures
• Severe or persistent muscle spasms
• PTSD or opioid use disorder

To become a medical marijuana patient in New York, there are three basic steps. First, you will book an appointment with a Veriheal doctor from NY who will review your ailment(s) and medical condition(s). Second, once you are evaluated and approved, you will receive a medical cannabis recommendation from our licensed NY marijuana doctor and be registered with the NY DOH. The third and final step is once you receive your medical cannabis recommendation, you can request your NY medical marijuana card online from the New York DOH. It will arrive in a week and you can then begin to purchase medical marijuana from dispensaries in NY.

When a certified patient applies for their ID card from the state, he or she may designate up to two caregivers that will assist the patient in obtaining and administering medical marijuana. To become a caregiver, the individual:

• Must be at least 21 years old, unless special permission is obtained from the Department;
• Must be a resident of New York State and have a valid New York State issued driver’s license or a New York State identification card;
• Must be someone other than the patent’s certifying physician.

After the patient’s application is approved, each caregiver must register with the DOH to receive a registry ID card that the caregiver can then use to obtain medical marijuana on the patient’s behalf.  Caregivers can follow the same registration instructions that are available for patients, which may be found here: http://www.health.ny.gov/regulations/medical_marijuana/patients/

Like the patient, each caregiver must pay the $50 application fee unless he or she can demonstrate financial hardship which will waive that fee.

The duration of the caregiver’s registry ID card is based on the duration of the patient’s certification. Accordingly, a caregiver’s registry card will expire at the same time as the patient’s card.  After the patient obtains a new certification from the physician and renews his or her registry card, the caregiver can apply for a renewal of his or her card.

Regulations permit a designated caregiver to obtain payment from the patient for the following two expenses only:

(i)    The actual amount charged by the dispensary for the approved medical marijuana product purchased for the patient; and

(ii)  Reasonable costs incurred in the transportation and delivery of medical marijuana product to the patient.

Each designated caregiver must also comply with the following requirements:

• Must obtain a registry ID card for each certified patient;
• Must provide care to no more than five certified patients;
• Must not possess at any one time a cumulative quantity of medical cannabis that exceeds the amount allowed for each certified patient;
• Must not possess any form of medical cannabis other than those forms recommended specifically for the use of certified patients;
• Must not knowingly share, sell, trade or otherwise deliver medical cannabis to anyone who is not a registered patient;
• Must abide by the same reporting requirements as described above for patients, including the obligation to return registry ID cards issued in connection with those patients who no longer have an eligible condition.

The total amount of marijuana that may be possessed by a certified patient shall not exceed a thirty-day supply of the dosage as determined by the practitioner, provided that during the last seven days of any thirty-day period, the certified patient may also possess up to such an amount for the next thirty-day period.

Home cultivation is not permitted.

New York is one of the largest U.S. states on the East Coast in terms of actual area as well as the number of residents who reside in the state. NY is in the northeastern region of the United States and its capital is Albany.

While New York is home to many medical marijuana products and dispensaries, there are also many tourist attractions in New York. Many tourists like to visit Times Square and Central Park. New York is the home of the Statue of Liberty, a key symbol of the United States’ beliefs in freedom, equality, democracy, and opportunity.