In New York State, a new law is about to be approved that will allow medical cannabis patients to grow their own cannabis.
The Cannabis Control Board (CCB) has accepted a resolution from the state’s Department of Health to adopt rules for medical cannabis patients to grow their own plants for personal use. Currently, medical cannabis patients in New York State can only purchase their medicine from licensed dispensaries or caregivers. They cannot cultivate their plants, either, so this is an exciting potential change for the market.
Home Grown New York
The cannabis control board has approved a resolution that will allow registered patients and caregivers to grow medical cannabis at home. The rule will take effect on October 5, and Chair Tremaine Wright says this is an exciting development in medical cannabis.
The adoption of the medical cannabis home-grow resolution comes about a year after draft regulations were first proposed and several months after the board accepted revised rules following a public comment period. The rule will allow registered patients and caregivers to grow up to six plants, three of which are allowed to be mature.
Office of Cannabis Management Executive Director Chris Alexander said his office has “prioritized patient access in this program,” and “it’s going to continue to be a priority.”
“I’m just really excited that we’re able to provide this more affordable option to patients to get access to that medicine,” he said.
Great News For Medical Patients
Allowing New York State medical patients to grow their own cannabis plants is amazing news with a host of positive effects that go beyond just convenience. First, it means that medical patients and their caregivers will have consistent access to cannabis cultivars that help them manage their conditions. That’s because they’ll be able to grow the plants themselves.
Second, the approval will help patients save money on purchasing cannabis products. Even though it’s legal in New York, many marijuana conglomerates have monopolized the industry by setting prices higher than they should be. Now that patients can grow their own medicine, they’ll be able to avoid paying inflated prices for cannabis products.
Thirdly, this will help reduce the overall environmental impact of the cannabis industry. The less cannabis transportation, the fewer carbon emissions released, which is great news for everyone.
Finally, this decision means that medical marijuana users are better protected from potential contamination when they grow their own medicine at home.
Big Marijuana And Their Gripes
You know what’s bad? When a bunch of greedy, money-hungry corporations get together and try to screw over people who are sick.
It’s even worse when they’re trying to make it illegal for sick people to grow their own medicine in their own homes.
That’s just what happened recently in New York State — and thankfully, it didn’t work!
A 29-page report prepared by New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association (NYMCIA) was sent to Cuomo in 2019. NYMCIA comprises numerous large cannabis companies such as Columbia Care, Etain, PharmaCann, the Botanist, Acreage NY, Vireo Health, and MedMen.
In a chapter of the report titled “The Fallacy of Home Grow,” NYMCIA puts forth a five-point argument against home cultivations. Luckily, New York didn’t listen to their bullshit and went forward with their plans anyway. However, this goes to show how strongly big cannabis corps feel about the “potential threat of homegrown.” In reality, these big companies aren’t making as much money as they’d like to, and are sadly taking it out on the rest of us.
While New Yorkers are still waiting for the adult-use market to open up, there has at least been positive movement in the state. The government is finally taking steps to make it happen, and they are even ignoring the pleas of these massive marijuana corps.
Hopefully, adult-use licenses will open up even more, and small, local cultivators can exist. It’s time for us to move forward as a state and support each other in this new industry. We’re hoping for a bright future in NY!
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