New Yorkers dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder will now be able to use medical marijuana as prescribed by a doctor under a new law approved by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Saturday.
The law adds PTSD to a list of ailments that can be treated with medical marijuana under the state's tightly regulated program. That list already includes cancer, HIV or AIDS, epilepsy and chronic pain, among other conditions.
The bill signing coincides with Veterans Day.
RELATED: Veterans Groups Push for Medical Marijuana to Treat PTSD
According to the federal Department of Veterans Affairs, 7 percent to 8 percent of the U.S. population will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. Among veterans, between 11 percent and 20 percent of those who served in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom have PTSD in a given year, while about 30 percent of Vietnam War veterans have had PTSD in their lifetime, VA statistics show.
Some veterans in New York and elsewhere have pushed for regulators to allow marijuana to be used to treat PTSD and other ailments.
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