New York has published a partial list of doctors and other providers registered to prescribe medical marijuana, information the state had been keeping under wraps.

The list includes 22 Central New York providers -- doctors, nurse practitioners and physican assistants, most of them in Onondaga County.

The list only includes providers who have agreed to be publicly identified. The state health department said it is prohibited from identifying medical marijuana providers without their consent.

Nearly 1,000 providers statewide are registered to certify patients for medical marijuana, but only 32 percent are included on the public list. 

Finding participating doctors has been a hassle for many patients, who've been forced to make cold calls to doctors' practices to find medical marijuana prescribers. The state said the new list will make it easier for eligible patients to access medical marijuana.

Patients must be certified by a provider before they can buy medical marijuana from a dispensary.

The state expanded the medical marijuana program in March by adding chronic pain to the list of medical conditions that qualify patients for medical marijuana.

Since then an additional 3,356 patients have been approved for medical marijuana, bringing the state's total number of certified patients to 18,348.

The other qualifying conditions include cancer, HIV/AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury with spasticity, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, neuropathy and Huntington's disease. Patients also must have one or more of these complications: wasting syndrome, severe or chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures, or severe or persistent muscle spasms.

Medical marijuana is only available in New York in oral capsules or liquid forms that can be vaporized and inhaled or taken orally. Smokable marijuana is not permitted.

Health insurance does not cover medical marijuana.