Will you soon be able to provide pot for your pooch?
Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, D-Scarsdale, Westchester County, introduced legislation Thursday that would change New York law to allow veterinarians to prescribe medical marijuana to animals.
"Medical marijuana has helped countless people in the management and treatment of chronic and debilitating illnesses," Paulin's bill states. "Research suggests that animals can also benefit from cannabis use to similarly treat their ailments."
"Animal owners and caregivers would therefore be given an alternative option to alleviate their pets' pain," Paulin's bill said.
The bill may face an uphill battle with the Legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The measure has yet to gain a Senate sponsor, and Cuomo has moved cautiously with expanding the state's medical marijuana program.
New York first started to allow doctors to prescribe medical marijuana in non-smokeable forms in January 2016, but the program has struggled.
As a result, the state has expanded the types of conditions that can be treated with medical marijuana, let nurse practitioners prescribe it and wants to double the number of dispensaries to 40.
Cuomo indicated in January that New York will also study whether to legalize recreational marijuana.
Link: https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/politics/albany