As state governments grapple with ways to curb the opioid epidemic in their own backyard, New York and Illinois took a relatively new approach last summer by modifying existing medical marijuana laws to allow certain patients to substitute their opioids with medicinal cannabis.
In each state, patients with an opioid prescription or a condition for which an opioid is indicated can instead buy cannabis at a registered dispensary with a physician’s written certification.
After he okayed new regulations, New York State Department of Health Commissioner Howard Zucker, MD, JD, said in a statement that the action “offers providers another treatment option, which is a critical step in combatting the deadly opioid epidemic affecting people across the state.” In Illinois, Gov Bruce Rauner said the law he signed into effect in August is “creating an alternative to opioid addiction.”
