STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A medical marijuana dispensary that has been in the works for Staten Island for more than two years will finally take shape this fall in New Dorp, the Advance has learned.

Sources told the Advance the facility will be located as 338 New Dorp Lane, a storefront that was recently up for sale and formerly housed In Phase Fashions, which went out of business in March.

State Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn), who championed both the medical marijuana legislation and to get a dispensary on Staten Island, confirmed it will be housed on New Dorp Lane and run by Citiva, which recently opened a dispensary in Brooklyn.

“This is the first time Staten Islanders won’t have to leave the Island [to obtain medical marijuana]. Certified users will have to register with that dispensary as a patient and then they would be able to purchase their medication there," said Savino.

“As a person who wrote the law, I have been waiting anxiously for Staten Island to have the same access to treatment as the rest of the state,” she added.

While Citiva Medical didn’t immediately respond to Advance queries about the dispensary, they previously told the Advance it will manufacture the plant in Orange County, and it will be shipped to its dispensaries, including the one on Staten Island.

CERTIFIED PATIENTS

Since the program was launched in New York state in 2016, Staten Islanders who have become certified to receive medical marijuana have had to obtain their medication from Manhattan or Brooklyn dispensaries, or by delivery service.

As of July 31, 2019, there were 2,523 certified patients and 44 registered practitioners on Staten Island participating in New York’s medical marijuana program, said Jill Montag, public information officer for the New York State Department of Health

As of that date, there were a total of 104,833 certified patients and 2,446 registered practitioners statewide, she said.

COMPASSIONATE CARE ACT

Medical marijuana has been legal in New York since the Compassionate Care Act -- signed into law in July 2014, and put into effect Jan. 1, 2016 -- allowed the state’s doctors to join physicians in prescribing the drug to patients.

Only doctors who take an online class, pass an exam about the treatment and register with the state Department of Health can recommend the drug. And it can only be recommended to patients who suffer from one of the approved ailments. Patients must then be approved by the state and obtain an ID card.

The drug is available in pill or oil form -- there is not yet a legal smokeable form in New York state.

Those diagnosed with one of more than a dozen debilitating ailments, like cancer, AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis, are eligible for the treatment.

A BILL TO EXPAND PRESCRIBERS

Of the 100,000 medical marijuana patients currently registered in New York, many are turning to the black market for easier access, wider variety of treatment and cheaper prices, according to Savino.

The current medical program "makes patients wait too long, pay too much and travel too far,” she said.

She recently proposed a bill in the Senate Health Committee that would expand the categories of who is allowed to prescribe marijuana from doctors and nurse practitioners to other medical professionals who use pain medication, such as podiatrists and dentists. It also would maintain the current listed medical conditions for patients to be eligible, while allowing for “any other condition certified by the practitioner.”

Savino said the new Island-based dispensary is a step in the right direction, “but we really need to expand this program so we have more dispensaries that are easily accessible."

“And the only way to bring down the cost is to have more availability. The more price competition you have, the lower the price point will be," said Savino.

In response to Savino’s citing of the need for more dispensaries, Montag said: “The Department of Health is committed to growing New York’s medical marijuana program responsibly, with a focus on protecting public health and safety. The program has helped thousands of New Yorkers suffering from serious health conditions.”

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