Health
New York Will Allow Use of Medical Marijuana Lozenges and Lotions
It was just announced that New York will allow use of medical marijuana lozenges and lotions. What will it mean for the future?
Under new regulations, New York will allow use of medical marijuana lozenges and lotions. The state has had a medical marijuana program in place since 2015. However, strict regulations have limited the ways that the medicine could be consumed. Now, changes in the program are expanding the program. In addition to lotions and lozenges, more methods of medical cannabis consumption will be available for patients.
New York’s New Rules
The methods of legal medical cannabis consumption in New York is extremely limited. Under current regulations, patients can’t purchase any smokeable form of weed. If they have a prescription, they’re limited to oils for vaporizing, capsules, and tinctures.
Edibles are also unavailable for legal purchase. There is also a very limited list of qualifying conditions to allow patients access to medical cannabis.
However, things are set to change for New York’s medical cannabis program. Yesterday, state health officials made it public knowledge that more forms of medical weed will soon be available. Starting next month, patients will have more choices in their medicine.
New York will allow use of medical marijuana lozenges and lotions, as well as other topicals such as ointments and patches. The new regulations will also allow dispensaries to sell chewable pills and effervescent tablets. Both are great options if you have trouble swallowing pills.
Final Hit: New York Will Allow Use of Medical Marijuana Lozenges and Lotions
Although the state of New York has rigid and restrictive regulations when it comes to their medical cannabis program, this could prove to be the start of something better. Now that New York will allow use of medical marijuana lozenges and lotions, it could lead the way for more health issues to be added to the list of qualifying conditions.
Currently, there are only eleven qualifying conditions that make medical cannabis accessible to patients. Essentially, the patient needs to be severely and debilitatingly ill for a doctor to even consider prescribing weed.
Because of this, the high cost, and the restricting methods of consumption, many people choose to stick to the traditional way of obtaining their meds: getting it from their dealer. While it’s not ideal from a legal standpoint, smoking is often the preferred method of cannabis consumption because of the fast-acting relief.
Because New York’s medical cannabis program is so limiting, these new regulations will be a welcome change for patients. Not only will it expand the methods of acceptable cannabis use, it will set a precedent for more changes to New York’s medical weed program.
Hopefully, soon, New Yorkers will be able to buy edibles and flower at their dispensaries. And maybe the Health Department will add more illnesses and ailments to the list of qualifying medical conditions, too.
