Dispensary owners in New York are patiently waiting to celebrate the new year. Starting in January, licensed caregivers will legally be able to produce and sell medical marijuana within the state, according to NBC News.
Five licenses will be granted to people in New York who will begin the cultivation of cannabis. Some, but not all, have already been issued. Including one to a company formerly known as Empire State Health Solutions, who have recently changed their name to Vireo Health New York.
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CEO of Vireo Health, Kyle Kingsley, used to be an ER doctor. He runs an business out of Minnesota that will be very similar to the one he plans to implement in New York.
“We want to make a system that is accepted by mainstream medicine to maximize patient access,” Kingsley said. He predicts that an average patient will spend somewhere around 300 dollars per month on their medicine.
Medical marijuana cards will be issued to patients who are diagnosed with severe, debilitating or life-threatening conditions. Cards will not be as easily obtained in New York as they are in a state like Colorado.
These patients will be restricted from smoking cannabis, but will be given oils and other forms of liquid marijuana to consume. For more about medical marijuana in New York, see the full story.
