New York

Any licensed and registered health care practitioner who has a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration to lawfully prescribe controlled substances to humans within New York State may certify patients for medical cannabis. This includes, but is not limited to, physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dentists, podiatrists, and midwives.

No separate practitioner registration with the OCM is required to certify patients. Eligible practitioners access the certification system through the Medical Cannabis Data Management System (MCDMS), which is located within the New York State Health Commerce System (HCS).

To access the MCDMS for the first time:

• Log into the Health Commerce System (HCS)
• From My Content (top banner menu), select All Applications, then "M," then Medical Cannabis Data Management System
• Click the green plus sign to add the MCDMS to your personal My Applications menu
• Click the Medical Cannabis Data Management System link and follow the prompts

Returning users can access the MCDMS directly from My Applications in the HCS left-hand menu.

For more information, visit the OCM Healthcare Provider page. 

Before certifying patients for medical cannabis, practitioners must complete at least a two-hour approved course. Courses are offered online and cover pharmacology of cannabis, contraindications, side effects, adverse reactions, overdose prevention, drug interactions, dosing, routes of administration, risks and benefits, warnings and precautions, and abuse and dependence. Some approved courses also offer CME credit.

The current list of OCM-approved courses, including provider names, durations, costs, and CME credit availability, is maintained on the OCM Healthcare Providers page under the Medical Cannabis Education section.

New York does not maintain a restrictive list of qualifying diagnoses. Under the MRTA, any licensed practitioner with a DEA registration may certify a patient for any condition the practitioner believes can be appropriately treated with medical cannabis. 

The OCM notes that common conditions for which patients use medical cannabis include, but are not limited to:

• Autism
• Alzheimer's disease
• Cancer
• Chronic pain
• Epilepsy
• HIV/AIDS
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Certain mental health conditions, including PTSD and anxiety
• Multiple sclerosis
• Muscular dystrophy
• Neuropathy
• Parkinson's disease
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Substance use disorder

This list is illustrative only and does not limit practitioner discretion in certifying patients. 

To certify a patient, practitioners must use the Medical Cannabis Data Management System (MCDMS), accessed through the New York State Health Commerce System (HCS). Telehealth evaluations are permitted in New York for the purpose of medical cannabis certification.

The patient's certification contains a registry ID and is effective immediately upon issuance. The patient can use the certification, together with a government-issued photo ID, to purchase medical cannabis from a licensed dispensary.

If the patient is under age 18 or unable to consent to medical treatment, a caregiver must be designated at the time of certification. The caregiver will be automatically registered and will receive a registry ID along with the patient certification.

Practitioners must report adverse events related to medical cannabis to the OCM within five business days of becoming aware of a standard adverse event, or within one business day for serious adverse events.

For detailed step-by-step guidance, see the Practitioner Guide to Patient Certification.

Insurance: Office visits related to patient evaluation and certification for medical cannabis may be covered by insurance. The New York Department of Financial Services has clarified that insurers may not deny coverage for an office visit resulting in a medical cannabis certification, provided the certification was not the sole purpose of the visit. Office visits for medical cannabis evaluation and certification are Medicaid reimbursable services. 

Under Senate Bill S3294A, signed November 21, 2025, patient certifications are now valid for two years. Practitioners may issue a certification for a shorter period based on clinical judgment and may specify dosing recommendations or limitations within the certification.

To recertify a patient, practitioners log into the MCDMS through the HCS and issue a new certification. Telehealth visits are permitted for recertification.

Practitioners may also extend, edit, cancel, or print certifications through the MCDMS. Step-by-step guides for each action are available on the OCM Healthcare Providers page.

Medical professionals have a legal right to recommend cannabis as a treatment in any state, as protected by the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act (Title III section 301) which became law on December 2, 2022, and the First Amendment (established by a 2004 United States Supreme Court decision to uphold earlier federal court rulings that doctors, and their patients have a fundamental Constitutional right to freely discuss treatment options).

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