BILL NUMBER:  S5629

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to conditions
permitting the use of medical marihuana

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

This bill would make post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) an eligible
condition under the medical marijuana law.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1 of this bill amends section 3360 of the Public Health Law to
add PTSD to the list of conditions for which medical marijuana may be
used.

Section 2 of this bill provides that this act shall take effect
immediately.

 EXISTING LAW :

The Public Health Law specifies ten medical conditions that are
eligible for use of medical marijuana, and chronic pain has been added
by action of the Health Commissioner. PTSD is not among those
              

conditions.

 JUSTIFICATION :

PTSD, first defined in 1980, is a serious condition that involves a
person developing symptoms - such as anger, flashbacks, nightmares,
night sweats, numbing, insomnia, and avoidance - after experiencing a
traumatic stressor. Many patients find the available pharmaceutical
options dangerous or ineffective, and thousands of them have turned to
medical marijuana for relief. States are increasingly adding PTSD to
their lists of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana.

PTSD afflicts numerous patient groups. While the public typically
associates PTSD with military veterans, PTSD is also found among
survivors of domestic violence, rape, violent crime, accidents, and
among police and fire fighters. Women are twice as likely as men to
experience PTSD.

PTSD results from an endocannabinoid deficiency. The endocannabinoid
system is part of the brain and nervous system involved with appetite,
pain-sensation, mood, and memory. With PTSD, the body stops producing
enough endocannabinoids to fill receptor sites. This is where the
cannabinoids found in marijuana play a therapeutic role.

Of the states with medical marijuana programs, most cover patients
with PTSD. Based on the relative number of PTSD patients in some of
those states, it is estimated that approximately 19,000 patients with
PTSD in New York could benefit from the use of medical marijuana.

Some argue that treatment of PTSD with medical marijuana is not based
on double-blind clinical studies proving its efficacy. However, most
of the drugs commonly used to treat PTSD also lack clinical proof of
their efficacy. Only two drugs have been approved by the FDA for the
treatment of PTSD: sertraline (Zoloft), and paroxetine (Paxil).
Unlike medical marijuana, both of these drugs have serious side
effects, including the risk of suicide, weight gain, and the onset of
diabetes. Every other drug used in the treatment of PTSD is prescribed
"off label," which means they were not approved by the FDA for the
treatment of PTSD. Many of these drugs, which include benzodiazepines,
antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers, are even more dangerous and
addictive than Zoloft and Paxil. Indeed, the Army Surgeon General
issued a warning against the use of antipsychotics for veterans with
PTSD in 2012.

While available research about medical marijuana for PTSD is limited
because of federal obstacles to conducting such research - the
research that does exist supports the use. For example, a Canadian
study involving naboline - a prescription drug made of a synthetic
cannabinoid (component of marijuana) reported that, "The majority of
patients (72%) receiving naboline experienced either cessation of
nightmares or a significant reduction in nightmare intensity.
Subjective improvement in sleep time, the quality of sleep, and the
reduction of day-time flashbacks and nightsweats were also noted by
some patients."

In New Mexico, a 2014 study of 80 patients who administered medical
marijuana for PTSD, pursuant to state law, found "greater than 75%
reduction in CAPS (Clinician Administered Post-traumatic Scale)
symptom scores were reported when patients were using cannabis than
when they were not... There is extensive evidence that cannabinoids
may facilitate extinction of aversive memories." They also found a 77%
reduction in suicidal thoughts, and a 50% reduction in the use of
medications. The New Mexico study also reported that not a single
adverse event occurred among over 3,350 patients with PTSD using
medical marijuana that they were tracking.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

The State of New York and certain counties will realize additional tax
revenue from the sale of medical marijuana to patients with PTSD.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
Immediately.