Arizona legislation to expand the state’s medical marijuana program has been passed unanimously by the House Rules Committee.
Senate Bill 1466, filed by Senator Thomas Shope, was passed yesterday 7 to 0 through the House Rules Committee. It’s now able to be considered by the full House of Representatives. Given it’s already been passed by the full Senate, 24 to 6, passage through the House would send it to Governor Katie Hobbs for consideration.
The proposed law would add post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and autism spectrum disorder as conditions that qualify an individual to become a legal medical marijuana patient. It would also reduce the price of medical marijuana cards from $150 to $50, while making them entirely free for veterans.
Medical marijuana first become legal in Arizona in 2010. The current list of qualifying conditions are:
- Cancer
- glaucoma
- positive status for human immunodeficiency virus
- acquired immune deficiency syndrome
- hepatitis C
- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Crohn’s disease
- agitation of Alzheimer’s disease or the treatment of these conditions
- a chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces one or more of the following: Cachexia or wasting syndrome, severe and chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures, including those characteristic of epilepsy, severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis.
The full text of Senate Bill 1466 can be found by clicking here.
