Medical Program (New York Cannabis)

What This Covers

• How the medical cannabis program is structured
• Patient and caregiver eligibility
• Practitioner certification requirements
• Role and limits of Registered Organizations
• Medical product forms and restrictions
• Incident reporting and program oversight

Overview of the Medical System

New York’s medical cannabis program is a closed system.

• Only OCM-approved Registered Organizations may:
  • Cultivate medical cannabis
  • Manufacture medical cannabis
  • Dispense medical cannabis
• Medical cannabis may only be sold through licensed medical dispensaries
• Adult-use dispensaries may not sell medical cannabis unless separately licensed

Medical operations follow program-specific rules that differ from adult-use requirements.

Patient and Caregiver Registration

Only registered participants may purchase medical cannabis.

• Patients must:
  • Be certified by an authorized practitioner
  • Register with OCM
  • Receive a medical cannabis ID
• Patients may optionally:
  • Designate a caregiver
• Caregivers must also be registered

All registration is completed through NY.gov.

Practitioner Requirements

Practitioners must meet state requirements before certifying patients.

• Hold a valid New York State license in an approved discipline
• Register with OCM
• Certify patients in accordance with program rules
• Maintain required records and reporting

Practitioners operating within the program framework receive statutory protections.

Registered Organizations (ROs)

Registered Organizations are vertically integrated licensees.

• ROs may:
  • Cultivate medical cannabis
  • Manufacture medical cannabis products
  • Dispense through licensed medical dispensaries
• ROs must maintain strict compliance systems covering:
  • Production
  • Packaging and labeling
  • Inventory tracking
  • Reporting

Medical rules are generally more restrictive than adult-use requirements.

Medical Product Types and Limitations

Medical cannabis is limited to specific product forms.

Allowed forms include:

• Capsules and tablets
• Tinctures
• Metered-dose inhalers
• Lozenges and powders
• Vape cartridges

Prohibited forms include:

• Smoking products
• Traditional edibles

Insurance does not cover cannabis itself, though some practitioner visits may be reimbursable.

Incident Reporting and Program Data

Participants may report issues to support safety and oversight.

• Reportable items include:
  • Adverse reactions
  • Product defects
  • Mislabeling or safety concerns

Reports help OCM monitor product safety and program performance.

What Operators Usually Miss

• Medical and adult-use systems are legally separate
• Adult-use dispensaries cannot sell medical products without an RO license
• Medical product forms are more limited
• Different rules apply to labeling, packaging, and dispensing

When This Comes Up

• Customer questions about medical cannabis
• Co-located or dual-license operations
• Product form comparisons
• Compliance reviews

What Happens If You Ignore This

• Unauthorized sales
• Regulatory violations
• Enforcement action
• License risk

Related Medical Use Section Pages

• Medical Operations & Overview
• Caregivers & Practitioners
• Legal Framework (Medical)
• Patient Access
• Registered Organization (Medical)
• Adult- Use License Types

Source Material

• MRTA Article 3 -Medical Use‍
• Part 113 (Medical Program Requirements)