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Epilepsy and cannabis in New York

The state explicitly lists this condition under its medical cannabis program. A certifying physician can pursue state registration for a patient with this diagnosis under the program rules.

Listed qualifying condition
✓ Yes
LEGAL
Up to 60-day supply as …
POSSESSION
$0/yr
STATE FEE
1–7 d
TIMELINE
Listed qualifying condition. The state explicitly lists this condition under its medical cannabis program. A certifying physician can pursue state registration for a patient with this diagnosis under the program rules.

New York statute and program

The New York Medical Cannabis Program is the operating authority for New York patient certification. The authoritative legal text is: New York Cannabis Law (Article 4). The program portal is at New York Medical Cannabis Program.

What the evidence says about cannabis and Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder defined by recurrent unprovoked seizures. The condition affects an estimated 3.4 million Americans. Most patients respond to anti-seizure medications, but approximately one-third develop treatment-resistant epilepsy that fails two or more first-line drugs.

For the full evidence base, including the NASEM tier, randomized trial summaries, and symptom-domain breakdown, read the mmjnow Epilepsy page.

How to qualify in New York

The New York Medical Cannabis Program requires the following registration steps for a Epilepsy patient (or any qualifying diagnosis):

  1. See a New York medical practitioner registered with the Office of Cannabis Management. A New York-licensed physician, nurse practitioner, dentist, podiatrist, midwife, or physician assistant registered with the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) Medical Cannabis Program must determine that medical cannabis may benefit the patient. Since the 2022 reform, registered practitioners may certify patients for any condition for which the practitioner believes medical cannabis is appropriate — practitioner-discretion model.
  2. Receive your certification through the OCM patient portal. The practitioner issues an electronic certification through the OCM Medical Cannabis Program portal. The certification is the controlling document; patients no longer must complete a separate registration step since the 2022 streamlining — the certification itself constitutes registration in the program.
  3. Use the certification at any New York medical dispensary. Patients present the printed or electronic certification along with a New York driver license or state ID at any of the New York licensed medical dispensaries (Registered Organizations). The OCM separately issues a physical medical cannabis card on request, but the card is no longer mandatory for purchase since 2022.
  4. No state patient fee. New York eliminated the patient registration fee in 2022. Patients pay only the practitioner certification fee plus product costs. The certification is valid for the duration set by the practitioner (typically one year). Adult-use retail also operates statewide for adults 21+; medical patients retain higher possession limits (60-day supply), lower taxation, and statutory employment protections under New York Labor Law §201-D.
State registration fee
$0
Physician visit (typical)
$125–$300
Certification to card
1–7 days
Out-of-state patients
Not eligible
Minors
Eligible with caregiver

For full New York registration steps, fees, and reciprocity rules, see the New York cannabis-laws page.

ICD-10 code

A certifying physician documenting Epilepsy for the New York medical cannabis program will typically record ICD-10 G40.909 or SNOMED-CT 84757009 in the patient's record. The state registry does not itself collect ICD-10 codes in most programs, but the physician's chart is the audit trail if the certification is later reviewed.

Frequently asked questions

Does New York list Epilepsy as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis?

Yes. New York explicitly lists Epilepsy as a qualifying condition under New York Medical Cannabis Program. A patient with a documented Epilepsy diagnosis can pursue state-program certification with a physician registered in the state. The qualifying-condition list is published by the state at https://cannabis.ny.gov/medical-cannabis and may change as regulators add, remove, or refine entries. Inclusion on the list does not guarantee certification — a physician still has to evaluate the patient and decide that medical cannabis is appropriate for that specific case under New York rules.

How do I get a New York medical marijuana card for Epilepsy?

Step one is finding a physician licensed in New York who is registered with New York Medical Cannabis Program and willing to evaluate Epilepsy cases. Step two is collecting your records (diagnosis documentation, treatment history, and the ICD-10 code your physician will use) and bringing them to the certification visit. Step three is the physician's certification through the state registry, followed by the patient registration application, state fee, and waiting period before the card is issued. New York honors out-of-state medical cards under its reciprocity rules — uncommon, and worth verifying before relying on it. The state minimum patient age is 18; minors generally require a parent or legal guardian to act as caregiver. The authoritative source for the current process is the New York Medical Cannabis Program site at https://cannabis.ny.gov/medical-cannabis; the state updates fees, forms, and physician registration rules periodically.

What does the evidence say about cannabis for Epilepsy?

For Epilepsy, evidence is described as strong (e.g. multiple randomized controlled trials or systematic reviews supporting effect). The mmjnow condition page for Epilepsy lays out the current evidence base, including the citations underlying that evidence tier — typically the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine consensus reports, federal agency guidance, and peer-reviewed reviews. Evidence quality is independent of state law: a state can list a condition for which evidence is limited, and a state can decline to list a condition for which evidence is strong. Patients deciding whether to pursue medical cannabis for Epilepsy should review the underlying evidence (linked on the condition page) and discuss expected benefit, dosing, and risk with a clinician familiar with both Epilepsy and cannabinoid pharmacology. Cannabis is not a substitute for evidence-based first-line treatments for Epilepsy; the evidence position above describes whether trial data supports its use, not whether it should replace standard care.

Sources

  1. New York Cannabis Law (Article 4)accessed May 15, 2026
  2. New York Office of Cannabis Managementaccessed May 15, 2026
  3. NORML: New York Lawsaccessed May 15, 2026
  4. NASEM: The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids (2017)accessed May 15, 2026

    “Conclusive or substantial evidence that oral cannabidiol is effective for the treatment of certain epilepsy syndromes.”

  5. FDA: Epidiolex (cannabidiol) prescribing informationaccessed May 15, 2026
  6. NIH NCCIH: Cannabis (Marijuana) and Cannabinoidsaccessed May 15, 2026