The state Department of Health on Wednesday unveiled an online registration system for patients seeking to qualify for the state’s medical marijuana program.
The program is due to become active next month, though Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed legislation earlier in the year creating an expedited system.
Before patients can register online, they must first be certified by a physician who has been authorized to operate in the medical marijuana program. Doctors must have taken an online course and registered with the state in order to prescribed medical marijuana.
After online registration is completed, patients will then receive a registry identification card in the mail, which must be shown when purchasing medical marijuana at dispensing facility.
New York’s medical marijuana program is limited to a small number of illnesses, including cancer, HIV/AIDS, ALS, Parkinson’s as well as severe epilepsy, among others.
The medical marijuana program includes five companies growing, manufacturing and dispensing prescription medical marijuana in the state. It’s expected that given the small patient pool, registration for the program will be relatively small in the beginning.
Also: Re-watch our four-part series on the state’s medical marijuana program, The Growing Economy.