Etain believes that the heart of New York’s medical marijuana program rests in the hands of medical doctors committed to providing compassionate care for patients throughout the state. The information contained on this page is meant to be educational for prospective practitioners seeking certification to recommend medical marijuana products to patients in New York State, and is taken from regulations published on the Department of Health Website and Article 33 Title 5-A of the Public Health Law.
How to Register
Practitioners interested in becoming registered to certify patients and recommend medical marijuana products must satisfy basic requirements and register with the Department of Health. The registration process is detailed further on the Department of Health Doctor Portal.
Basic Requirements
Interested practitioners in New York State must satisfy the following requirements in order to register to certify patients and recommend medical marijuana:
● Be qualified to treat patients suffering from one or more of the qualifying diseases and accompanying qualifying symptoms (see our Patients & Caregivers section for a list of diseases and symptoms)
● Be licensed and in good standing as a physician and practicing medicine
● Have completed a Continuing Medical Education Course approved by the commissioner.
Educational Courses
The Department of Health has made a Continuing Medical Education Course available to interested practitioners. The course is four hours in length and covers the following topics:
● The pharmacology of marijuana;
● Contraindications;
● Side effects;
● Adverse reactions;
● Overdose prevention;
● Drug interactions;
● Dosing;
● Routes of administration;
● Risks and benefits;
● Warnings and precautions;
● Abuse and dependence;
● Other components as determined by the commissioner.
Application for Registration
Practitioners who have satisfied the basic requirements and are interested in recommending medical marijuana products may register by submitting the following info through the Department of Health Doctor Portal:
● PDF certificate of Continuing Medical Education course completion
● Doctor’s state license number
● Health Commerce System (HCS) user id
Medical Marijuana Data Management System
Doctors who have registered with the New York State medical marijuana program can consent to having their information published in the Medical Marijuana Data Management System (MMDMS). This enables other doctors, both registered and un-registered, to search for registered doctors to refer their patients to.
This database provides the option for doctors who do not want to register with the program to send their patients to other doctors to pursue treatment in New York’s medical marijuana program.
Patient Certification
Registered practitioners in New York State will be responsible for diagnosing and certifying potential patients as qualified to receive treatment involving medical marijuana products. Patient certifications will be submitted to the Department of Health and expire no later than one year after the date of practitioner signature. Certification for terminally ill patients will not expire unless revoked or the patient passes away. Certification for out-of-state patients residing in New York for treatment will last the term of the patient’s residence in NY but no longer than a year.