The new medical home-grow regulations will allow medical cannabis patients to grow up to six plants. Caregivers can grow for a maximum of four patients, or up to 12 plants. The regulations also say landlords may not refuse to lease to patients, or penalize them for legally growing weed.

The CCB also approved amendments to the state’s cannabinoid hemp program. The new rules create a new license type that allow approved hemp farmers to sell hemp flower they grow, and raise the maximum cannabinoid allowance per serving to 100 milligrams. The maximum allowance was previously 75 milligrams.

CCB members approved conditional licenses to 19 cultivators and 10 processors, bringing the number of businesses holding conditional cultivator and conditional processor licenses to 261 and 25.

In Chautauqua County, the businesses that now have conditional cultivator licenses include The ReLeaf Market LLC, Weaver Road Farms LLC, Fare Thee Well Farm, Inc., and Tadt Services LLC.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) has been joined by a bipartisan group of 26 Senators and Representatives in sending a letter urging President Obama to remove barriers to research on medical marijuana and facilitate new medical research on cannabis and its derivatives.

Gillibrand said that 23 states have passed laws establishing medical cannabis programs and an additional 17 have passed laws regarding the medical use of cannabidiol (CBD), a compound derived from cannabis. However, researchers, doctors, and patients in these 40 states are still subject to federal barriers impeding innovation and medical research.

Sen. Gillibrand said that until we have comprehensive scientific research on the medical risks and benefits of cannabis and its derivatives, we will continue to debate this issue on the basis of outdated ideology instead of modern science.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

AMHERST – Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will be in Amherst Monday to hold a press conference at DENT Neurological Institute to discuss her new bipartisan legislation to allow patients, doctors and businesses in that have already passed medical marijuana laws to participate in those programs without fear of federal prosecution.

In March, Senator Gillibrand joined several of her colleagues with Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Rand Paul (R-KY), Dean Heller (R-NV) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) in introducing the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States (CARERS) Act.

The legislation would respect the states that set their own medical marijuana programs and prevent federal law enforcement from prosecuting patients, doctors and caregivers in those states.

Medical marijuana is legal in New York and 22 other states as well as the District of Columbia, and 14 states have laws regulating cannabidiol oils, a non-psychotropic component of medical marijuana used to treat seizures.

However, federal laws leave those who prescribe, use and sell medical marijuana vulnerable to arrest. The bill will make overdue reforms to ensure patients – including veterans receiving care from VA facilities in states with medical marijuana programs – access the care they need.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

WASHINGTON – New York’s Junior Senator in Washington is joining a bi-partisan effort to end federal prosecution in states where medical marijuana has been legalized.

On Tuesday afternoon, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will join Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Rand Paul (R-KY) in announcing new legislation to allow patients, doctors and businesses in states that have already passed medical marijuana laws to participate in those programs without fear of federal prosecution.

Medical marijuana is currently legal in 23 states and the District of Columbia, and 12 states have laws regulating cannabidiol oils, a non-psychotropic component of medical marijuana used to treat seizures.

However, federal laws leave those who prescribe, use and sell medical marijuana vulnerable to arrest.

Gillibrand says the bill will make overdue reforms to ensure patients – including veterans receiving care from VA facilities in states with medical marijuana programs – access the care they need.

More details on the legislation will be announced Tuesaday afternoon during a media conference in Washington.