Members of the California Assembly and Senate have advanced legislation to the Governor’s desk permitting for the use of medical cannabis products within hospitals and other eligible health care facilities.
Senate Bill 311 (a/k/a Ryan’s Law) provides for “a terminally ill patient’s use of medicinal cannabis within [a] health care facility.” The proposal prohibits patients from either inhaling or vaping herbal cannabis products, and restricts the use of any forms of cannabis in emergency rooms.
Lawmakers passed similar legislation in 2019, but it was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom who expressed concerns that it “would create significant conflicts between federal and state law.” In July, the bill’s sponsor drafted a letter to the US Department of Health and Human Services to inquire whether permitting such use on hospital grounds could jeopardize facilities’ federal funding.
To date, a handful of states — including Connecticut and Maine — have enacted legislation explicitly permitting for the use of eligible cannabis products to hospitalized patients under certain circumstances.
The full text of the legislation is available here.
