Albany Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday will direct the state Department of Health to speed up the process for getting medical marijuana to children with epilepsy, according to a Cuomo administration official.
Cuomo’s directive comes two days after his office and the state’s health commissioner met with a dozen advocates for medical marijuana, who pushed the state to implement the program more quickly.
Under a new state law passed in June, the Department of Health has 18 months to get the marijuana program up and running. It allows the drug for therapeutic purposes for patients with serious conditions and illnesses—including epilepsy and AIDS—but only in non-smokeable forms.
