What's happening
This bill adds substance use disorder to the list of conditions eligible for medical marijuana treatment in New York.
Why it matters
Expanding access to alternative treatment. By adding substance use disorder as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana, the bill could provide patients struggling with addiction new therapeutic options, especially where conventional treatments have failed or are limited.
Potential to reduce opioid and other substance misuse. Some studies suggest medical marijuana may help decrease reliance on more dangerous substances, including opioids. This bill could support harm reduction strategies and lower overdose rates.
Impacts on public health and treatment models. The inclusion signals a shift toward integrating medical marijuana into mainstream addiction care, prompting further research, changes in medical practice, and possible legal and insurance adjustments.
Broader implications for stigma and patient rights. Recognizing substance use disorder as eligible for medical marijuana may help reduce stigma around seeking help for addiction and validate it as a medical issue deserving comprehensive treatment options.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Add Addiction to Marijuana Coverage
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
14 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to health
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
9582
IN ASSEMBLY
January 23, 2018
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to adding substance use disorder to the list of conditions covered for lawful medical use of marihuana
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 7 of section 3360 of the public health law, as amended by chapter 403 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
(i) having one of the following severe debilitating or life-threatening conditions: cancer, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, 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, neuropathies, Huntington's disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorder, or as added by the commissioner; and
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that the amendments to subdivision 7 of section 3360 of the public health law, made by section one of this act, shall not affect the repeal of such section and shall be deemed repealed therewith.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14262-01-8
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.