The Hawaii Senate has passed a bill to allow qualifying patients to access medical marijuana at health facilities.
After receiving a favorable report in committee last week, the legislation from Sen. Joy San Buenaventura (D) advanced through the full chamber in a unanimous 25-0 vote on Tuesday as part of the consent calendar. A House companion version of the proposal has also been moving through the process this session.
The bill states that it’s the “intent of the legislature in enacting this chapter to support the ability of terminally ill patients and qualifying patients over sixty-five years of age with chronic diseases to safely use medical cannabis within specified health care facilities.”
Advocates would have liked to see a mandate for health facilities to allow medical cannabis use, but as drafted it would simply permit such policies, while exempting residential treatment centers from the proposed law.
Other exceptions built into the legislation, SB 2408, include provisions stipulating that medical marijuana couldn’t be used in substance misuse recovery hospitals, state hospitals or emergency departments of general acute hospitals “while the patient is receiving emergency services and care.”
Smoking and vaping cannabis would remain prohibited in health facilities under the proposal, “provided
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