Pennsylvania lawmakers have approved a bill to allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
The House of Representatives passed the bill from Rep. Dan Frankel (D) in a 174-27 vote on Monday. It now heads to the Senate for consideration.
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.
“Today we have the opportunity to come together to ease the suffering of patients at the end of their lives,” Frankel
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