COVID-19 crisis: Access to medical cannabis is essential to health, safety of New Yorkers

The novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent government response in an attempt to slow its progression has left many New Yorkers feeling isolated and fearful for their health and safety — both personal and economic.

As state leaders move forward with efforts to enforce social distancing, including temporary closures of all non-essential businesses, they have rightly recognized that pharmacies and grocery stores must remain open to provide necessities like food and prescription medications.

Officials also deemed medical cannabis dispensaries to be essential and allowed them to stay open. As a medical cannabis patient and a former registered nurse with the Department of Veterans Affairs, I applaud Gov. Andrew Cuomo for the steps he has taken to address this crisis, and for making sure that the thousands of New Yorkers like me who rely on medical cannabis can continue to access it at this difficult time.

But more can be done to make it easier for dispensaries to provide patients with medical cannabis and do so without compromising the health of either dispensary employees or the patients themselves — a critical concern as we battle this easily spread and fast-moving virus.

I hope the state will go a step further and allow curbside pick-up for medical cannabis patients, and also end the requirement that two dispensary employees must be present when making home deliveries. This policy does not allow employees to follow social distancing guidelines and increases staffing challenges when staffing levels are low.

Based on my experience with New York’s medical cannabis program to date, I believe it is time that state officials seriously consider expanding it to provide even more patients with access to the products that have changed my life for the better.

Not only should the state expand the number of dispensaries and add to the list of qualifying conditions, but it also should allow the sale of whole flower. This will dramatically bring down the cost of medical cannabis for patients, many of whom struggle to afford their medications as these products are not covered by health insurance.

Given the economic fallout we are facing as a result of COVID-19, with a growing number of people out of work and uncertain about when — and if — they will have jobs to return to, it’s more important now than ever that we bring the cost of medical cannabis down.

Even before the virus upended every aspect of our lives, I personally had to budget very carefully — sometimes cutting back on food or other necessities — in order to afford the medical cannabis that helps me manage the pain of MS, which forced me to retire from my nursing job and position as a Captain in the Air National Guard long before I was ready to do so.

I am not alone. An estimated three million Americans use medical cannabis, which is now legal in 33 states and the District of Columbia. Americans for Safe Access, a patient-led medical cannabis advocacy group, has launched a nationwide effort to assure that access to this important medication is not disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research has shown that medical cannabis is a safe and effective treatment option for a variety of debilitating conditions, including PTSD, chronic pain, seizures and also to relieve the negative side effects of chemotherapy.

Curbing access to such an effective treatment option in the face of the COVID-19 crisis has the potential to push medical cannabis patients to seek out unregulated and potentially dangerous products on the illicit market. Now more than ever, New Yorkers must prioritize their health and safety and not risk unnecessary interpersonal exposure through unregulated cannabis.

As state leaders navigate the rapidly changing landscape of this global pandemic, it is crucial that they don’t exacerbate the crisis for medical cannabis patients by impeding access to their most effective treatment options. They have an opportunity to not only protect New York’s successful medical cannabis program, but to strengthen and expand it. I hope they act — and quickly.

The writer, who lives in New Windsor, is a registered nurse who holds a B.S. in Nursing and is a retired captain in the New York Air National Guard.