New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently signed two bills that could hasten the process of obtaining medical marijuana for patients with severe illnesses, two months before the beginning of the statewide program for the drug's medical use.

The Compassionate Care Act, which allowed the distribution of medical marijuana to sick patients, was passed in 2014. New York is part of at least 24 other states in the United States where the drug is applied for medical use.

The governor agreed to sign the Compassionate Care Act in 2014 after securing safeguards that would allow the State Police and the Department of Health to have an extensive oversight of the distribution of the drug.

Under the recent measures, the state will work with medical marijuana producers to provide the drug as quickly as possible to qualified patients whose lack of medical access would pose a serious risk to their lives.

Gov. Cuomo said in a statement that he "deeply sympathized with New Yorkers suffering from serious illness." He said he appreciates the fact "that medical marijuana may alleviate their chronic pain and debilitating symptoms."

He initially did not embrace the bills, but on Nov.11, he had made a decision to push through it.

"Gov. Cuomo has done a very good deed for seriously ill patients and their families," said State Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, who sponsored the bill.

Gottfried and other advocates wanted a faster timetable for medical marijuana distribution. Their campaign included heartbreaking testimony from parents with children who are suffering from chronic illness such as severe epilepsy.

Alongside these parents, patients with terminal cancers and AIDS have long sought after early access of medical marijuana. They said patients who are critically-ill shouldn't have to wait any longer for the statewide medical program.

"I am so very relieved that Governor Cuomo has signed this bill," said parent Missy Miller. Miller's son Oliver currently suffers from epilepsy, and experiences life-threatening seizures.

Miller hopes that her son will be able to experience significant relief, especially because severely-ill patients in the state will have the chance to have access to medical marijuana. The process had been extremely difficult, she said. "This will become real to me when Oliver gets the medicine he needs."

Photo: Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York | Flickr