This blog post is the third in a series of articles discussing the current state of the law in New York regarding medical marijuana. To read the latest post in the series, Medical Marijuana 102: NYS Registered Organizations and Dispensaries, click here.

In today’s post we’re going to be reviewing the requirements imposed by New York’s Medical Marijuana Program upon patients and certifying practitioners. As of August 22, 2017, 1,184 practitioners have registered with the NYS Department of Health (“DOH”) for the purpose of certifying patients for medical marijuana use and 28,077 patients have been certified for such use.

The DOH authorizes physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants to certify patients for medical marijuana use. As we mentioned in Medical Marijuana 101, New York’s Medical Marijuana Program is available only to patients who suffer from one of the following severe, debilitating or life-threatening conditions: cancer, positive status for HIV or AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, neuropathy, chronic pain, or Huntington’s disease. Patients must also have one of the following associated or complicating conditions: cachexia or wasting syndrome, severe or chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures, or severe or persistent muscle spasms.

Practitioners who wish to certify patients to use medical marijuana must meet four general criteria. First, the practitioner must be qualified to treat patients who suffer from one or more of the serious conditions listed above.

Second, the practitioner must be either (1) a licensed physician who is in good standing as a physician and practicing medicine in New York State, (2) a certified nurse practitioner who is in good standing as a nurse practitioner and practicing in New York State, or (3) a licensed physician assistant who is in good standing as a physician assistant and practicing in New York State under the supervision of a physician registered with the New York State Medical Marijuana Program.

Third, the practitioner must have completed a four-hour course approved by the NYS Health Commissioner. The course must include the following course content: the pharmacology of marihuana; contraindications; side effects; adverse reactions; overdose prevention; drug interactions; dosing; routes of administration; risks and benefits; warnings and precautions; abuse and dependence; and such other components as determined by the commissioner. Currently the Commissioner has only approved two providers, TheAnswerPage and The Medical Cannabis Institute, to offer the course. The course is available to all interested parties, meaning that you can take the course even if you are not in the medical field and/or not looking to certify patients for medical marijuana use.

Lastly, the practitioner must have registered with the DOH. Practitioners can only register with the DOH if they’ve taken the four-hour course. Once a practitioner has completed the registration process they will then have access to the Medical Marijuana Data Management System which will allow them to issue certifications to qualifying patients.

Qualifying patients suffering from the severe illnesses listed above can learn more about whether medical marijuana may help them by speaking with a practitioner that is registered with the program. To help patients locate a registered practitioner, the DOH keeps an updated list of registered practitioners on its website.

Once patients are certified by a registered practitioner for medical marijuana use, patients must register with the DOH by, among other things, providing documentation to prove their identity and NYS residency. When patients register with the DOH they can also designate up to two caregivers. Those caregivers must also register with the DOH using the same online system as the one used by patients. Pursuant to the Compassionate Care Act there is a $50 application fee but the DOH is currently waiving the $50 fee for all patients and their designated caregivers.

Once a patient or caregiver’s registration is processed, the DOH mails a registry ID card directly to the patient or caregiver. Registrations expire when the certification that was issued by the practitioner expires. At this time, New York State does not accept certifications or registry ID cards from other states. This is not unusual as there are currently only three states (Nevada, Hawaii and Maine) that practice full reciprocity and will legally allow, under certain circumstances, out-of-state patients to make purchases at licensed dispensaries.

Now that we’ve learned about the basic regulations covering patients and practitioners we’re going to turn our attention to other important parties that play a role in the medical marijuana industry. Check back soon for Medical Marijuana 104: Responsibilities of Health Insurers. To be sure not to miss the article when it comes out, we invite you to subscribe to the Farrell Fritz New York Health Law Blog.