It has been found that the New York State Department of Health (DOH) has now started accepting applications from businesses interested in registering themselves to manufacture and dispense medical marijuana under the Compassionate Care Act.

As per sources familiar with the issue, the applications, including instructions with the timeline for the registration process, are posted on the Medical Marijuana program’s web page.

Acting State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said in a statement that this would mark as an important step in implementing the medical marijuana program in New York State.

“We have laid out an ambitious timeline in getting the program up and running and we are meeting our goals. Once the applications are in, we can begin our review and move to the next step of selecting the registered organizations this summer”, he said.

Applicants interested for registration are required to provide detailed plans of their infrastructure and operations.

They have also to pay a fee of $10,000, which is nonrefundable. This nonrefundable fess is to be paid above of a $200,000 registration fee.

The $200,000 registration fee will be refunded to entities that are not issued a registration, said sources.

The law will provide the initial registration of up to five organizations in New York State, which will grow, manufacture, distribute, and dispense marijuana for medical use.

And each organization registered under the act can operate four dispensing facilities statewide, for an initial total of up to 20 geographically-dispersed dispensing facilities.

In addition, the registered organizations will be required to comply with the strict security and record-keeping requirements.

Registered organizations must contract with an independent laboratory located in New York State to test the medical marijuana products, says law.