Statement From State Senator Gustavo Rivera On Expansion of Usage of Medical Marijuana for Patients Suffering with Chronic Pain

“I applaud Governor Cuomo and Health Commissioner Zucker for continuing to expand our State's Compassionate Care Act and including chronic pain as a qualifying condition. This measure, which is included on a bill I recently sponsored in the Senate, will provide thousands of New Yorkers suffering from chronic pain with a safe alternative to seek relief, instead of them recurring to opioid drugs. By including this measure, as well as allowing nurse practitioners and physician assistants to certify severely ill patients for medical marijuana, our State is taking the appropriate steps to adequately strengthen our State's medical marijuana program."