Patients suffering from severe menstrual cramps, known medically as Dysmenorrhea, could become eligible for medical marijuana in New York. As Newsweek reports:
While over the counter medicine like Midol can be helpful for many women, some 20 percent of women who suffer from cramps caused by their menstrual cycles each month experience such extreme dysmenorrhea that they can’t perform daily activities like getting out of bed and going to work, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Now, relief may soon be on the way. The New York Assembly’s Health Committee passed an initiative Tuesday that would add dysmenorrhea to the list of conditions necessary to qualify for medical marijuana use. If it becomes law, everyday women suffering from intolerable period pain could have legal access to pot with a medical marijuana card.
The proposed bill, introduced by Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, drew strong majority support from the Health Committee in a Tuesday vote. To become law, it must also pass in the New York Senate and receive the Governor’s signature. The approval of chronic pain as a qualifying condition in March of this year signals continuing legislative interest in expanding the program to create access for patients not yet covered by the existing list of qualifying medical conditions.
Columbia Care NY supports the expansion of the program to ensure that qualified patients are better served and their lives are improved and revitalized through the responsible use of medical marijuana. We’ll be following this issue closely and keeping our site updated with any future developments. Patients seeking access to medical marijuana in New York are encouraged to review our online instructions on how to get a medical card and contact our helpful staff if we can be of assistance. We’re excited to see New York’s medical marijuana program continue to grow and we welcome new patients at any of our five locations throughout the state.