A South Dakota legislative committee has rejected a bill that would have allowed terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in hospitals and hospices.
The House Health and Human Services Committee voted 12-1 on Thursday to defer the measure to the 41st day of the session, effectively killing it.
Rep. Eric Emery (D), the sponsor of HB 1053, said it is a “narrow and carefully constructed bill that addresses one specific issue: ensuring that terminally ill patients who are already legally authorized to use medical cannabis under South Dakota law may continue the treatment when they enter the hospital or a hospice facility.”
“Under the current law, a patient may legally use medical cannabis at home with their approved practitioner. But once that same patient is admitted into a hospital or hospice facility, that access is abruptly ended—and not because the doctor has changed their mind, but because the facilities’ policies vary widely across the state,” he said. “For terminally ill patients, this disruption can mean unplanned pain, nausea, anxiety or even loss of appetite when care is no longer focused on the cure but comfort and dignity.”
“I’ve seen firsthand the pain and the suffering that often accompany… this
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