NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A9016
SPONSOR: O'Donnell TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to adding opioid use
disorder to the list of conditions covered for lawful medical use of
marihuana
PURPOSE OF GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill adds opioid use disorder to the list of conditions for which a
doctor may authorize medical marijuana use.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends subparagraph (1) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 7 of
3360 of the public health law.
Section 2 provides the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
The current opioid epidemic is the deadliest drug crisis in American
history, Opioid overdoses have surpasses gun-related murders and car
accidents as the cause of death for Americans under 50 years old, kill-
ing as estimated 54,000 people last year. New York State is no exception
to this crisis. In the City of New York alone, over 1,300 fatally over-
dosed in 2016--a 46%, increase from 2015. Additionally, overdose rates
have risen among all demographic groups and among residents of almost
every New York City neighborhood. We must act now to stymie the rise of
deadly overdoses.
Opioid overdose deaths are preventable. As many New Yorkers turn toward
addictive opioids to relieve chronic pain, medical marijuana serves as a
powerful substitute for these deadly substances. According to a study by
Drug and Alcohol dependence and The National Bureau of Economics, states
with legalized medical marijuana experienced significant reductions in
hospitalizations related to opioid use and abuse, opioid-related traffic
fatalities, opioid related drug treatment admissions, and opioid-related
overdose deaths. This indicates that providing broader access to medical
marijuana has the potential of saving lives and curtailing opioid abuse.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately, provided, however, that the
amendments to section 3360 of the public health law made by section one
of this act shall not affect the repeal of such section and shall be
deemed repealed therewith.
