Oregon’s governor has signed a bill to allow patients with debilitating medical conditions to access medical marijuana in certain health facilities such as hospices.
Gov. Tina Kotek (D) approved the legislation from Rep. Farrah Chaichi (D) on Tuesday after it cleared the Senate in a 20-8 vote last month and was passed by the House of Representatives in a 39-3 vote in February.
Chaichi said in testimony to the Senate Health Care Committee that the bill is “an important tool to facilitate cannabis use as an alternative or addition to opioid use in end of life care.”
“While sometimes necessary, opiates are often overly sedative, preventing quality family interaction in someone’s final days,” she said. “As someone who lost my mother while she was intubated, I know how meaningful it is for patients to be present and in the moments of their last days and weeks with their loved ones. This is a quality of life and a quality of care issue. The bill’s goal is to ensure patients who desire this important and valid medical treatment have access across the board.”
As enacted, HB 4142 will require hospice, palliative and home care organizations, as well as residential facilities, to develop rules
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