It would permit only doctors to prescribe marijuana, in forms including oil-based and vapor, to individuals with any of about a half-dozen conditions, including cancer, AIDS, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis.
But it wouldn't legalize smokable forms of the drug, making the effort much narrower in scope than many other medical-marijuana laws around the country. And it would allow the governor, upon recommendation by the state police superintendent or health commissioner, to suspend the program at any time.
It would also automatically expire after seven years, at which time the Legislature and governor could reauthorize the program.
"Medical marijuana has the capacity to do a lot of good for a lot of people who are in pain and suffering," Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, said at a Capitol news conference. "At the same time, it's a difficult issue, because there are also risks that have to be averted—public-health, public-safety risks. And we believe this bill strikes the right balance."
The plan would make New York the 23rd state to legalize at least some forms of marijuana for medicinal purposes, and the second—in addition to Minnesota—to do so while also banning smokable forms.