Parents and ailing New Yorkers are saying Governor Cuomo did the right thing in signing legislation which effectively speeds up the arrival of medical marijuana in the state.
The state's system of manufacturers and dispensaries kicks in early next year, with January 5 still listed as the start-up date.
Yesterday, the governor, in effect, jumped that date by speeding up the system of identifying who can get medical pot and by requiring the Health Department to get the drug out there as soon as possible, potentially from out-of-state.
Local medical marijuana supporter Daniel Ryszka says that could be a problem.
"If I put my child on a product that is available from another state, what happens when the New York State program is up and running. Am I going to be forced to go to a New York State company? Now, mind you, my children have been seizing for the past 15 years. If I have benefit, am I going to want to switch to a New York State product when I know another state works," Ryszka said.
Ryszka is a hospital pharmacist deeply involved in the care of his two children and also of an entire hospital. One of the kinks in the state program is that this isn't smoke your own pot, since the law bars that and requires the drug come from oil or pills. The new law must adhere to federal rules from two-years ago, which could limit shipping between states.
