The most recent bill related to medical marijuana is Senate Bill 8-A, passed June 9, 2017. The governor has stated publicly that he plans to sign the bill, and thus make it law. Soon we will publish a summary of changes and requirements in the new bill, with topics including:
- The Board of Medicine and the Board of Osteopathic Medicine must create a physician certification pattern review panel, which will review each doctor’s certifications for medical marijuana.
- Training: the certification now requires only a 2 hour class (down from 8 hours) and the cost is limited to $500 (down from $1,000 from a private provider).
- No telemedicine – the doctor must conduct a physical examination of the patient in the same room.
- Minors: Patients under 18 must have two doctors concur in the determination that use of medical marijuana would likely outweigh potential health risks.
- Pregnant women: cannot be issued a certification, except for low-THC cannabis.