New York Marijuana Legalization: How To Buy Medical Cannabis From New Pot Dispensaries

GettyImages-453996924 — The Compassionate Care Act was signed into law in July 2014, and will allow patients with debilitating or life threatening conditions to obtain medical marijuana. GETTY IMAGES

New York will roll out its medical marijuana program Thursday when dispensaries open, dispersed throughout the state from New York City to Albany. Eight dispensaries are slated to launch this week.

The Compassionate Care Act was signed into law in July 2014, and will allow patients with debilitating or life threatening conditions to obtain medical marijuana. The Department of Health includes patients with these conditions as eligible: cancer, HIV infection or AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury with spasticity, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, neuropathy, and Huntington's disease.

Patients suffering from these conditions would have to see a registered physician to receive a prescription. Doctors are required to pay for a $249 four-hour online course in order to receive licensing. The Department of Health has not published a list of registered physicians, but will "soon post a list of those registered physicians who consent to providing their names and specialties," according to its site.

Those with certification from a registered physician are then required to register with the Medical Marijuana program through the Department of Health's site and pay the $50 application fee. Once the patient has been approved, they will receive a registry identification card through the mail. Patients then must schedule an appointment with one of the authorized facilities to meet with a pharmacist, who can prescribe them up to a 30-day supply of medical marijuana.