OLEAN — New York state’s Medical Marijuana Program started quietly on Jan. 7.

It’s not clear whether any Cattaraugus County physicians have yet registered with the program, or whether any county residents have been certified elsewhere to participate in the medical marijuana program.

“It’s a hot topic,” said Dr. Kevin Watkins, Cattaraugus County public health director.

Regulated by the state Department of Health, “medical marijuana is another weapon in the arsenal for pain relief,” Watkins said. “We are just going to continue to monitor it.”

New York, he said, “is the 23rd state in the country to allow medical marijuana for patients seeking some sort of pain relief. It is being done in a very conservative way.”

New York currently permits medical marijuana to be prescribed for patients suffering from cancer, HIV/AIDS, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord nervous tissue damage, inflammatory bowel disease, neuropathies and Huntington’s disease. The state Health Commissioner may add additional diseases in the future.

“First, someone must be referred by their primary care physician to a physician who has taken the (state) training in order to be certified to prescribe medical marijuana,” Watkins said. If a patient feels that their chronic pain has not been alleviated their physician could recommend them to a prescribing physician.

There are currently just under 300 physicians across the state who have been certified to prescribe medical marijuana, Watkins said. “I’m not sure we have any in this area yet. The state is preparing a list of prescribing physicians.”

Watkins noted that once a person has been recommended for the program, “they will have to get registered with the state as well. They will have to get registered. An ID card costs about $50. The person will also have to be counseled before getting medical marijuana.”

Watkins said patients will only be able to get a 30-day supply, and it’s not covered by Medicaid or health insurance. In Western New York, there are two medical marijuana dispensaries in Western New York, both located in Williamsville.

“A person won’t be able to get a joint and smoke it,” Watkins said. “The medical marijuana will come in a liquid that can be put on food or under the tongue. It can also be vaporized in an e-cigarette. Or it will come in a capsule. The cost will depend on the concentration of the marijuana.”

Watkins said by being conservative in dispensing the medical marijuana, “We can do more study to see if this is a viable drug for pain management. Research shows that there is some benefit for pain management and it can help increase appetite in cases of chronic illness when a patient won’t eat.”

Watkins noted that it was the case of a mother who wanted to see if medical marijuana would relieve her young daughters frequent seizures that finally tipped the scales in favor of medical marijuana for state lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo 18 months ago.

There can also be a downside to the therapy in terms of impaired memory or paranoia, he said.

On the other hand, medical marijuana “can be another weapon in the arsenal to help patients find some kind of relief from chronic pain and seizures,” Watkins said.

The state health commissioner “may add other conditions” to the list in the future, Watkins said.

The commissioner is currently evaluating whether to add Alzheimer’s disease, muscular dystrophy, dystonia, post traumatic stress disorder and rheumatoid arthritis to the list.