Jon Campbell, 7:16 p.m. EDT July 30, 2014
A file photo of Gov. Andrew Cuomo meeting with the Democrat and Chronicle Editorial Board on April 10.(Photo: TINA MACINTYRE-YEE, staff photographer)
ALBANY Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday directed the state Department of Health to speed up the process for getting medical marijuana to children with epilepsy.
In a letter to Acting Health Commissioner Howard Zucker, Cuomo cited the recent deaths of two Buffalo-area girls who suffered from epilepsy.
He asked Zucker to explore ways to get the drug to epileptic children sooner than the end of 2015, when the state is required to have its full medical-marijuana program up and running.
"Striking the right balance to ensure public safety and public health are protected is crucial," Cuomo wrote to Zucker. "That said, I ask that you review the eighteen month implementation timeline to determine if there is any way to accelerate the process for this specific dire population."
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.
An oil-based cannabis extract has shown promise in treating small children who suffer from seizures, which helped bring several lawmakers on board to support the medical-marijuana bill when it came to a vote.
It wasn't immediately clear what steps the Department of Health could take to issue the drug more quickly. Federal law prevents it from being transported across the state law and growing it in state would take at least 90 days.
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Cuomo seeks faster treatment for kids with epilepsy