Hundreds of New York physicians have registered to recommend medical marijuana to patients, but patients continue to have a hard time finding a such a physician, according to a Crain's New York Business report.
Here are five things to know about the issue.
1. The state's medical marijuana program launched Jan. 7 — more than a year after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed the Compassionate Care Act. The program makes approved forms of medical marijuana available with a physician's certification at designated dispensaries statewide.
2. As of Feb. 2, 334 physicians have registered for the state's medical marijuana program, and 551 patients have been certified by their physicians.
3. However, people who are eligible to receive medical marijuana, including those with epilepsy, cancer and various other serious conditions approved for treatment, are having a hard time finding a physician who is registered to recommend cannabis, partly because such physicians are still getting educated on cannabis and figuring out how to incorporate the treatment option into their practices, according to Crain's New York Business.
4. Additionally, it is harder for patients who need certification for cannabis treatment to find a physician who has registered to recommend medical marijuana because the state health department for now will not publish a list of physicians registered to recommend the drug, according to the report.
5. In light of these difficulties, Steven Mrowzinski, an acupuncturist on Long Island, N.Y., as well as other healthcare providers, will be making a business of referring potential cannabis patients to registered physicians, according to the report. Since the state's medical marijuana program launched, Mr. Mrowzinski has already had requests from at least about 50 people wanting physicians who can address their medical needs, and by the end of last month, he had a list of 35 registered physicians around the state, according to Crain's New York Business.
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