Medical marijuana has helped thousands of patients effectively and safely treat pain from a wide range of medical conditions, and has been found to be safer, and in some cases, more effective than other prescription medications.

Lifesaving for some, medical marijuana isn’t an option for everybody; the high out-of-pocket cost remains the biggest barrier to patient access in New York because marijuana isn’t covered by public health plans and commercial health insurance.

“Some patients begin treatment only to stop due to inability to pay, while others turn to the black market,” says a justification memo on a bill introduced by former Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore) that aimed to add coverage of medical marijuana to public insurance programs.

“Access to medical marijuana should not be limited to those who can pay out of pocket. Efforts by registered organizations to offer discounts have helped, but are inadequate for many low-income patients,” the justification memo says.

Savino introduced the bill (S8837) in the 2021-2022 legislative session.

The legislation would amend the state’s Public Health Law to deem medical marijuana a “prescription drug,” “covered drug,” or “health care service” to authorize insurance coverage through public insurance programs.