Gov. Maggie Hassan recently signed legislation letting New Hampshire physicians recommend cannabis for qualified patients. New Yorkers still do not have access to this medicine, despite compelling evidence of its efficacy for treating pain, insomnia, the loss of appetite and nausea associated with treatments for cancer and AIDS, and a host of other ailments.
Federal surveys reveal that teen use in medical cannabis states does not increase. Research in my own laboratory here in Albany reveals that problems related to cannabis are especially rare in medical users, and that new vaporizer technology prevents respiratory problems that might accompany smoking.
I look forward to the day when people suffering from illness here in New York can have the same treatment options as all of their neighbors in New England.
Mitch Earleywine
Professor, Psychology
University at Albany