A Senate bill that would allow physicians to renew patients medical marijuana cards via telehealth options has been passed unanimously by a Senate committee. A companion bill has already been passed by two House committees.
The Senate Health Policy Committee voted unanimously today, 12 to 0, to pass Senate Bill 344, the companion bill to House Bill 387 which has already passed the House Health and Human Services Committee and the House Healthcare Regulations Subcommittee. The bill would allow patients to seek renewals for their medical marijuana authorization (required annually) via telehealth, which is currently prohibited.
The companion bills would still require that a licensed physician meet a patient in-person to authorize their medical marijuana use for the first time, but all subsequent annual renewals could be conducted through telehealth options such as Zoom.
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Although Washington was one of the first two states to legalize marijuana in 2012, employers up until this point have been able to refuse employment based on off-the-job recreational marijuana use. Senate Bill 5123 would change that, and today it was passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 57 to 41 – it’s already passed the Senate 28 to 21. It will need to receive a vote of concurrence by the House before it can be sent to Governor Jay Inslee for consideration.
Senate Bill 47 would be able to receive a vote by the full House of Representatives if it’s approved tomorrow in the House Licensing and Occupations Committee, something proponents of the measure say they are optimistic will happen. Given it’s already passed the Senate in a 26 to 11 vote, if it is able to pass the House tomorrow it will be sent to a supportive governor who is expected to sign it into law quickly if given the opportunity.
Senate Bill 653 was passed by the Maryland Senate by a vote of 34 to 11, moving it to the House Judiciary Committee. The proposed law, filed by Senator Jill P. Carter, would alter state law to clarify that the legal definition of child neglect:
House Bill 1071 was filed by Delegate Charlotte Crutchfield along with a massive list of 43 cosponsors, all Democrat. After passing the House by a vote of 98 to 34, it was assigned to the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, with a hearing scheduled for tomorrow, March 30 at 1pm.
“This bulletin is to advise all registered cannabis representatives and retail cannabis store licensees of important amendments to the Cannabis Representative Handbook (CRH) and the Retail Cannabis Store Handbook (RCSH)”, said the AGLC on their website.
Montana House Bill 669 was filed by State Representative Bill Mercer. It would move marijuana tax revenues out of programs dedicated to wildlife habitat, state parks, trails and recreational facilities and instead put them into the state’s General Fund. Now that it’s been passed through appropriations it moves towards a vote by the full House of Representatives.
House Bill 2 was passed by the Senate in a 15 to 5 vote, a little less than an hour and a half after the chamber approved House Bill 1 by a vote of 16 to 4.
The Senate voted 16 to 4 today to pass House Bill 1 to legalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana for those 21 and older. A separate measure to legalize licensed marijuana stores – House Bill 2 – is expected to receive a vote in the chamber shortly.
