New York: Cuomo Signs 2 Bills to Speed Up Medical Marijuana Distribution

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In a surprising move, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed two bills on Wednesday to establish an “emergency medical marijuana” program for qualified patients, two months before the planned debut of a statewide program providing for the medical use of the drug.

The governor’s signature effectively accelerates the first distribution of medical marijuana in the state since the passage of a 2014 law that added New York to a list of nearly two dozen other states where the drug is now available for sick patients.

Under the bills, passed earlier this year, the State Health Department is to set up a separate program to “create an expedited pathway” to qualified patients whose lack of access to the drug “would pose a serious risk” to their lives.

Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, said in a statement accompanying his...

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