New York A 6709: Relates to the topics of the course required to be taken by practitioners certifying patients as eligible for medical cannabis

Status: PRINT NUMBER 6709B (as of 2026-04-15)

State: New York · Session: 2025-2026 · Bill: A 6709

Sponsors: Anna Kelles, Brian Cunningham, Demond Meeks, Donna Lupardo, Jen Lunsford, Jo Anne Simon, Josh Jensen, Karines Reyes, Manny De Los Santos, Maritza Davila, Phara Souffrant Forrest, Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, Yudelka Tapia

Bill Text

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A06709 Summary:

BILL NOA06709B

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SAME ASSAME AS S06972-B

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SPONSORKelles

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COSPNSRBichotte Hermelyn, Tapia, Meeks, De Los Santos, Lupardo, Davila, Cunningham, Jensen, Reyes,
 Lunsford, Forrest, Simon

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MLTSPNSR

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Amd §30, add Art 3-A §50, Cannabis L; amd §206, Pub Health L

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Relates to the topics of the course required to be taken by practitioners certifying patients as eligible for medical cannabis; establishes the endocannabinoid system awareness program; requires the office of cannabis awareness and the department of health to publish information about the endocannabinoid system awareness program on their websites.

Go to top A06709 Actions:

BILL NOA06709B

&nbsp

03/10/2025referred to health

03/31/2025amend and recommit to health

03/31/2025print number 6709a

01/07/2026referred to health

04/15/2026amend and recommit to health

04/15/2026print number 6709b

Go to topA06709 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA06709 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA06709 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 6709--B

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 March 10, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. KELLES, BICHOTTE HERMELYN, TAPIA, MEEKS,
 DE LOS SANTOS, LUPARDO, DAVILA, CUNNINGHAM, JENSEN, REYES, LUNSFORD,
 FORREST, SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health --
 committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
 recommitted to said committee -- recommitted to the Committee on
 Health in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee
 discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
 to said committee

 AN ACT to amend the cannabis law and the public health law, in relation
 to the course required to be taken by practitioners certifying
 patients as eligible for medical cannabis and establishing the endo-
 cannabinoid system awareness program

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Subdivision 8 of section 30 of the cannabis law, as amended
 2 by chapter 544 of the laws of 2025, is amended and a new subdivision 9
 3 is added to read as follows:
 4 8. (a) Prior to issuing a certification a practitioner must complete
 5 appropriate training as determined by the board in regulation; provided,
 6 however, that such course shall, at a minimum, meet the requirements of
 7 paragraph (c) of this subdivision. For the purposes of this article a
 8 person's status as a practitioner is deemed to be a "license" for the
 9 purposes of section thirty-three hundred ninety of the public health law
 10 and shall be subject to the same revocation process.
 11 (b) The office shall approve at least one course for practitioners
 12 seeking to certify patients for medical cannabis, which shall be a mini-
 13 mum of two hours in duration.
 14 (c) The educational content of such course or courses shall include:
 15 the pharmacology of cannabis; contraindications; side effects; adverse
 16 reactions; overdose prevention; drug interactions; dosing; routes of

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD08994-07-6

 A. 6709--B 2

 1 administration; risks and benefits; warnings and precautions; abuse and
 2 dependence; and such other components as determined by the office.
 3 9. The office shall provide information on the office's website on the
 4 endocannabinoid system awareness program established pursuant to section
 5 fifty of this chapter, including the information and guidance estab-
 6 lished pursuant to subdivision two of such section.
 7 § 2. The cannabis law is amended by adding a new article 3-A to read
 8 as follows:

 9 ARTICLE 3-A
 10 ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM AWARENESS PROGRAM

 11 Section 50. Endocannabinoid system awareness program.
 12 § 50. Endocannabinoid system awareness program. 1. There is hereby
 13 established within the office, in consultation with the department of
 14 health, the endocannabinoid system awareness program which shall create
 15 educational materials for health care practitioners regarding the endo-
 16 cannabinoid system and how it interacts with other bodily systems.
 17 2. The exec

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