Louisiana lawmakers have passed a bill to let patients with terminal and irreversible conditions use medical marijuana in hospitals, sending it to the governor.
The House of Representatives approved the legislation from Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews (D) in a 54-44 vote on Tuesday after it previously passed the Senate by a margin of 33-2 last month. It now heads to the desk of Gov. Jeff Landry (R).
Under the proposal, hospitals would have to create written guidelines allowing covered patients to consume medical cannabis on-site in forms other than smoking or vaping.
Under an amendment adopted by a Senate committee last month, emergency or outpatient departments would be exempted from the policy. The revised legislation also clarifies that patients and primary caregivers are responsible for acquiring and administering medical marijuana, which must be “stored securely at all times in a locked container provided by the patient.”
Health care professionals and staff would be prohibited from “administering, storing, retrieving, or assisting the patient with the medical marijuana,” the text says.
The amendment, which the sponsor worked on with help from the Louisiana Hospital Association, also allows hospitals to opt out of the policy if federal officials take action against any healthcare facility
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