Senators in Hawaii on Wednesday gave approval to a medical marijuana bill that would, among other changes, allow healthcare providers to recommend cannabis to treat any condition they believe it would benefit.
The full Senate chamber voted 24–1 to approve HB 302, from Rep. Gregg Takayama (D).
As introduced, the proposal would clarify that under state law, a medical marijuana recommendation would no longer need to be made by a doctor who had conducted “an initial in-person consultation” with a patient.
Last month, however, a pair of Senate committees amended the bill to effectively allow medical marijuana to be recommended for any condition that a doctor or advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) believes it would benefit. Currently providers can recommend marijuana to treat only those maladies on a specific state list.
The provision would redefine “debilitating medical condition” to mean “any condition determined by the certifying physician or advanced practice registered nurse to be appropriate for the medical use of cannabis.”
That would open the door to wider access for patients who might have conditions that stand to benefit from medical marijuana but whose ailments haven’t been specifically recognized by state officials.
Senate lawmakers did not discuss the bill ahead of Tuesday’s vote. The lone no vote came from Sen. Brenton Awa (R).
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