New York: New Regulatory Changes To Expand Medical Marijuana Access

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NORML | March 23, 2017

ALBANY, NY — Newly enacted regulatory changes to the state’s medical cannabis program are expected to result in increased patient access.

As of this week, patients suffering from chronic pain conditions are now eligible to qualify for cannabis therapy.

In January, a National Academies review of over 10,000 scientific abstracts acknowledged that “conclusive” evidence exists to support the use of cannabis in pain treatment.

Another change in the program allows physician…

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Medical marijuana sales surge in AZ in 2016 amid patient growth

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Medical marijuana patients in Arizona bought a record 29 tons of cannabis products in 2016, a 53% increase over the 19 tons that were purchased in 2015, according to a report from the state Department of Health Services.

The sales surge could be attributed to an increase in medical marijuana patients. The program had 114,439 patients registered at the end of 2016 compared with 88,500 at the end of 2015. That’s a patient increase of 29%, according to Phoenix New Times.


Trump ReportOf the total product sold last year, about 27 tons were flower, and…

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National Academies of Sciences Confirms Marijuana’s Benefits, Dispels Myths

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The National Academies of Sciences released a report on the health impacts of marijuana Thursday, confirming the existence of medical benefits and dispelling some long-held myths about the substance.

The review of more than 10,000 scientific abstracts found, “There is conclusive or substantial evidence that cannabis or cannabinoids are effective” for the treatment of chronic pain in adults, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and multiple sclerosis spasticity.

The report also dispels several myths about the health impacts of…

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Possibility of new competition concerns New York’s existing medical cannabis companies

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NewYorkMedicalMarijuana

By Omar Sacirbey

Medical marijuana businesses in New York are hopeful that recent and proposed changes to the state’s MMJ program will increase patient numbers and boost sales.

But the five existing companies, currently operating below their capacities, worry those gains could be negated by plans to allow newcomers to enter the market.

“Adding new registered organizations will divide up the patients even more. They need to fix the demand side first and then adjust supply,” said Jeremy Unruh, general counsel at PharmaCann, one of the…

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New York Joins States That Allow Medical Marijuana for Chronic Pain

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On Dec. 1, the New York Department of Health announced that it will add chronic pain as a qualifying condition for the medical marijuana program. It will publish proposed rules, “which will include language specifying the chronic pain conditions that would qualify for medical marijuana.”2000px-flag_of_new_york_city-svg

Under current law, patients only qualify if their pain is caused by one of a few qualifying conditions. Allowing medical cannabis for patients with chronic pain will vastly expand the number of seriously ill patients who can enroll in the program….

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New York Adds Chronic Pain as Qualifying Condition for Medical Marijuana Program

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Drug Policy Alliance | December 2, 2016

NEW YORK—The New York State Department of Health announced Thursday that they will expand New York’s beleaguered medical marijuana program by adding chronic pain as a qualifying condition under New York’s Compassionate Care Law.

This decision by the Department of Health is a victory for patient advocates and for all New Yorkers who suffer from debilitating pain,  which medical marijuana has been proven to help treat.

“Medical marijuana is a scientifically proven…

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New York to Add Chronic Pain to Medical Marijuana Conditions

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TJ Baker | December 1, 2016

ALBANY, NY — Chronic pain will soon be added to the list of conditions that qualify for medical marijuana in New York.

“Medical marijuana is already helping thousands of patients across New York State, and adding chronic pain as a qualifying condition will help more patients and further strengthen the program,” New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard A. Zucker said in a statement Thursday.  “After conducting a thorough review of the scientific…

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Study: Cannabis Dosing Influences Pain Sensitivity

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Study: Cannabis Dosing Influences Pain Sensitivity

NEW YORK, NY — Cannabis inhalation influences subjects’ sensitivity to pain, according to clinical data published online ahead of print in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Investigators at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York assessed the effects of cannabis versus placebo in subjects exposed to a laboratory-induced pain model. Participants in the trial immersed one of their hands in cold water. Researchers assessed subjects’ pain sensitivity and pain tolerance based on he length of time they were willing to keep…

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Chronic Pain Added as Qualifying Condition to Minnesota’s Medical Marijuana Program

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Chronic Pain Added as Qualifying Condition to Minnesota’s Medical Marijuana Program

SAINT PAUL, MN — Pain patients in Minnesota can now find hope, as they are now able to access the state’s year-old medical marijuana program.

Supporters of this move believe it will provide thousands of patients with a safer alternative to prescription opioids and allow them to prevent or overcome dependency on prescription-based painkillers.

Minnesota legalized medical marijuana in 2014, allowing smoke-free forms of the substance to be consumed by those with doctors’ recommendations. The medical marijuana program took effect in 2015,…

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Chart of the Week: Most Common Medical Conditions of Registered MMJ Patients

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By Eli McVey

Adding chronic or severe pain to the list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana has a huge impact on the size of a given market, as evidenced by the overwhelming percentage of registered patients using MMJ to treat the condition.

A combined 64.2% of patients in Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico and Oregon – the only states that publicly release patient counts by condition – list chronic/severe pain as a reason for using medical cannabis, according to an analysis of publicly…

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Clinical Trial: Vaporized Cannabis Efficacious In Treating Neuropathy

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Clinical Trial: Vaporized Cannabis Efficacious In Treating Neuropathy

SACRAMENTO, CA — The inhalation of vaporized herbal cannabis reduces neuropathic pain in patients with spinal cord related injuries, according to placebo-controlled clinical trial data published online ahead of print in The Journal of Pain.

A team of investigators at the University of California, San Diego, UC Davis, and the Sacramento VA Medical Center evaluated the effects of vaporized cannabis in a cohort of 42 neuropathic pain patients who were previously unresponsive to conventional analgesics. Participants inhaled four puffs of…

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Long-Term Cannabis Use Associated with Improved Pain Relief, Reduced Opioid Use

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Long-Term Cannabis Use Associated with Improved Pain Relief, Reduced Opioid Use

The long-term, daily use of cannabis is associated with improved analgesia and reduced opioid use in patients with treatment-resistant chronic pain conditions, according to clinical trial data reported online ahead of print in The Clinical Journal of Pain.

Investigators with Hebrew University in Israel evaluated the use of cannabis on pain in a cohort of 176 patients, each of whom had been previously unresponsive to all conventional pain medications. Subjects inhaled THC-dominant cannabis daily (up to 20 grams per month) for a period of at…

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Study: Daily Marijuana Use for Chronic Pain is Safe, Effective

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Study: Daily Marijuana Use for Chronic Pain is Safe, Effective

Chronic pain patients who use herbal cannabis daily for one-year report reduced discomfort and increased quality of life compared to controls, and do not experience an increased risk of serious side effects, according to clinical data published online ahead of print in the Journal of Pain.

Researchers at McGill University in Montreal assessed the long-term health of 216 medicinal cannabis users with chronic non-cancer pain who consumed a daily standardized dose (12.5 percent THC) of herbal cannabis compared to 215 controls (chronic pain…

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