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On Thursday, New York joined 22 other states in US that can formally sell medical marijuana permitted by law. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Compassionate Care Act in November that allows the doctors to prescribe extracts of cannabis plant for patients who are suffering from chronic ailments such as HIV/AIDS, spinal cord injuries or Parkinson's Disease. However, the drug reform advocates say that the stringent laws around medical cannabis means that it will still be unreachable to many patients who need it to allay their mental and physical agony, said Syracuse.com.

On Monday, the health department announced that the kickoff finally comes 18 months after the governor of New York signed the law, according to Capitol Confidential. The program offered by New York follows the strictest standards as compared to other states.

To be eligible to acquire medical marijuana, the patients must be certified by a state-approved doctor and will only be allowed to take the drug at state-approved dispensaries. The pot will only be made available in a non-smokable form that includes capsules, vapors and oils extracts, according to the New York Business Journal. Patients suffering from any one of the 10 specific conditions will be allowed to get marijuana treatment. The list includes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), HIV or AIDS, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy and Huntington's disease, among others.

 "It's among the most restrictive medical marijuana laws in the country," said Karen O'Keefe, director of state policies for the New York-based Marijuana Policy Project, a drug reform advocacy group. "Unfortunately, it seemed like the priority was to make it as limited as possible, instead of focusing on what is best for patients," O'Keefe said. Cuomo said that while the bill is being passed through the legislature, New York must observe caution and calculated approach to marijuana amendment, says Aljazeera America.