Some good news coming for those suffering from chronic pain with little relief in New York State.

Uriel Sinai, Getty Images
Uriel Sinai, Getty Images
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Let me just say this right off the bat. We are talking about Medical Marijuana here NOT Recreational use.

The New York State Department of Health has announced that it will be expanding it's Medical Marijuana program for those suffering from severe illness in New York State. The plan is to implement a few recommendations using new regulations and guidelines to further improve the program. According to News10 those recommendations include:

Authorizing nurse practitioners to certify patients for the program, allowing for home delivery service of medicine, expanding the financial hardship waiver for patients and caregivers who apply for registration, and modifying the state’s data management system to make it more user-friendly for certified patients and caregivers.

The Times Union reports that the state will not likely stop there and will:

Continue to consider other changes, including the addition of chronic pain as one of the conditions that qualifies a patient to buy medical marijuana. Currently, 10 conditions qualify patients for the program, including neuropathy, cancer and multiple sclerosis.

All of which seems to be a step in the right direction. If we can get people with chronic illness some relief while at the same time not getting them hooked on medications that may do more harm than good in the long run speaks of progress in my book.

To learn more about what is being issued by the DOH at this point click HERE.

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