As Pennsylvania lawmakers consider the governor’s proposal to legalize recreational marijuana, separate legislation to allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in hospitals and other healthcare facilities is advancing.
The House Health Committee approved the bill from Rep. Dan Frankel (D), who chairs the panel, in a 23-3 vote on Tuesday.
If enacted into law, HB 2254 would require hospitals, long-term care nursing facilities, assisted living residences and personal care homes to allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis on the premises, provided that doing so does not interfere with their broader treatment plan and that marijuana isn’t vaporized in a way that “could impact care to other patients.”
Smoking cannabis is not allowed under Pennsylvania’s broader medical marijuana law.
Within 180 days of the bill being enacted, covered healthcare facilities would have to “develop and disseminate written guidelines for the use or administration of medical marijuana.” That would need to include requirements that cannabis be stored in locked containers, safety measures to protect other patients and staff, specificity on the forms of marijuana that are allowed and procedures for documenting use.
The legislation says that facilities are not required to administer medical cannabis to patients to to
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