New York State Departments of Health and Agriculture and Markets Announce New Regulations to Enhance Medical Marijuana Program

Regulations Allow Registered Organization to Use Hemp Grown Under the State's Hemp Program to Produce Cannabinoids for Approved Medical Marijuana Products

ALBANY, N.Y. (November 6, 2019) – The New York State Departments of Health and Agriculture and Markets today announced that a regulatory amendment has been filed to allow registered organizations to use hemp and extract derived from hemp that is grown under the state'sHemp AgriculturalResearch Pilot Program to produce cannabidiol (CBD) and other cannabinoids for approved medical marijuana products. The proposed regulation, which was published in today's State Register, is subject to a 60-day public comment period. As noted in the regulation, allowing registered organizations to use hemp and its derivatives should help reduce registered organizations' manufacturing costs, thereby reducing costs to patients.

New York State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said, "The Department remains committed to growing New York State's Medical Marijuana Program responsibly, as evidenced by the work we have done to enhance the program since its launch nearly four years ago. This is yet another example that will help improve the program for patients and registered organizations."

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball said,"Since its launch, the State's hemp research program has seen tremendous interest from growers and processors, and this new regulation will provide our research partners with another market for their products.We support the continued growth of this emerging industry, which has opened the door to new opportunities in New York's agricultural industry, as well as many other sectors."

As of Tuesday, November 5, 2019, 109,583 certified patients and 2,568registered practitioners are participating in New York's Medical Marijuana Program, which launched in January 2016. Some of the numerous improvements made to the program since then include: adopting new regulations to improve the program for patients, practitioners and registered organizations; authorizing five additional registered organizations to manufacture and dispense medical marijuana; adding chronic pain, PTSD and opioid replacement as qualifying conditions; permitting home delivery; and empowering nurse practitioners and physician assistants to certify patients.

For more information about New York's Medical Marijuana Program, visit: https://www.health.ny.gov/regulations/medical_marijuana/.

The State's Hemp Agricultural Research Pilot Program was created in 2015. Since then, the State has taken several actions to help the hemp industry grow in New York, including eliminating the cap on the number of sites authorized to grow and research the plant, establishing hemp as an agricultural commodity under the State's Agricultural and Markets Law and providing resources to advance hemp research and support economic development opportunities for hemp businesses.The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets currently has research partners authorized to grow nearly 20,000 acres of hemp across the State for use in grain, fiber and CBD products.

For more information about the State's Hemp Agricultural Research Pilot Program, visit: https://www.agriculture.ny.gov/PI/PIHome.html.