Following the recent deaths of two young local girls who suffered from epilepsy, the push is on Albany to speed up the implementation of medical marijuana.
Earlier this week Assemblymember Michael Kearns sent a letter to Dr. Howard Zucker, the Acting Commissioner of the state Health Department, about speeding up the process of issuing medical marijuana cards. And yesterday Governor Andrew Cuomo urged Zucker to review the state's 18-month roll out plan and "accelerate the process" for people in dire need.
"We understand that this has to be done because we're dealing with regulations and standards," Kearns said.
"But unfortunately with each passing day children are dying. And...what I'm trying to do is I'm just trying to find solutions to help people out."
If the Health Department determines the drug can not be made available sooner, Kearns says issuing emergency medical marijuana cards for specific diseases would allow New York residents to immediately obtain the medication in several states that already recognize the cards.