Arizona State Representative Selina Bliss (R) filed House Bill 2081 today, proposing changes to the state’s medical marijuana law that would expand access for terminally ill patients, particularly those receiving care in hospitals, hospice settings, and long-term care facilities.

The legislation would amend multiple sections of Arizona Revised Statutes relating to medical marijuana, with a central focus on patients diagnosed with a terminal illness. Under the bill, health care institutions such as hospitals, assisted living centers, residential care facilities, adult day health care facilities, and licensed foster care homes would be allowed to adopt policies governing the medical use of marijuana by qualifying patients in their care, rather than being required to prohibit it outright.

House Bill 2081 would allow these facilities to allow terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana in designated areas, subject to reasonable restrictions intended to protect other patients, staff, and visitors. The bill also clarifies that facilities choosing to allow medical marijuana use would not be required to provide or administer marijuana themselves, nor would they be obligated to participate in the state’s medical marijuana program.

If enacted, the measure would give health care facilities more flexibility while preserving patient access during end-of-life care, shifting policy decisions from blanket prohibitions to facility-level discretion. House Bill 2081 now awaits committee assignment in the Arizona Legislature.