Cannabis News
Delaware House Committee Approves Bill To Allow Medical Marijuana Use In Hospitals For Terminally Ill Patients
A Delaware House committee has unanimously approved the Senate-passed bill allowing terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in hospitals.
About two weeks after Sen. Marie Pinkney’s (D) legislation advanced in the Senate, members of the House Health and Human Development Committee cleared it on a 9-0 vote Wednesday.
There was limited public testimony on the measure, which is being held in the House by Rep. Kamela Smith (D). A representative of the Delaware Healthcare Association supported the bill’s intent, while specifically applauding the Senate’s revisions to address the “operational and compliance challenges” raised by its members.
In his opening statement, Smith said the measure “balances patient rights and clinical judgment, allowing physicians to make decisions on a case-by-case basis, while protecting patients and facilities that comply with the law from civil liability and professional liability.”
He also shared a personal story that informed his advocacy for reform, describing how his father had experienced “constant pain from having cancer” and the only thing that bought him relief was cannabis.
“Doctors acknowledging that he was in pain and giving him time to relieve that pain” is part of the reason lawmakers support the legislation. he said.
Under SB 226, patients and their caregivers would be responsible for obtaining and administering medical marijuana, and would have to store it securely in a locked container at all times.
Smoking or vaporizing medical cannabis would be prohibited, so patients would have to consume it through other methods.
Health care facility officials should see a copy of patients’ state medical marijuana registry IDs, and should note the use of the drug in medical records. Likewise, “written policies and procedures for the use of medical marijuana in health care facilities should be developed and disseminated.”
Facilities would be able to prohibit the use of medical marijuana if such use “would have an adverse effect on patient care and treatment or is otherwise contraindicated.”
They could also revoke a license to use cannabis if a federal agency such as the U.S. Department of Justice or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services takes an enforcement action against that use or “issues a rule, guidance or otherwise provides notice to health care facilities that expressly prohibits the use of medical marijuana in health care facilities.”
The right to use medical cannabis according to the bill, SB 226it would not apply to patients in the emergency department.
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Meanwhile, in Delaware, the Senate voted in January on a bill that would override the governor’s veto. prevent local governments from imposing harsh zoning restrictions that make it harder for marijuana businesses to operate to act in their jurisdictions.
Delaware’s adult cannabis market launched last August, with the governor Claiming a “successful” first weekend of adult cannabis sales in the statemedical and recreational marijuana purchases totaling nearly $1 billion, and compliance checks that demonstrate the regulated market is operating as the law intends.
Delaware’s legal market was launched two years after the legalization of marijuana Under former Gov. John Carney (D).
Before expanding sales, the governor toured one of the state’s cannabis cultivation facilities last July, praising the quality of the marijuana being produced. He said it will be “the French wine of the bush.”
The launch of the legal market came with some controversy, however. critics say it’s unfair for medical operators to begin adult-use sales ahead of other license applicants. Dozens of other retailers that have already received licenses or may be dozens more still awaiting issuance will have to wait for more regulatory approval before opening their doors, a situation that has frustrated some advocates.
The two lawmakers who led the push to legalize marijuana asked for input from consumers and businesses on the launch of the market. Sen. Trey Paradee (D), sponsor of SB 75, and House Majority Whip Rep. Ed Osienski (D) — the lead sponsor of the state’s 2023 legislative bills.Last year it launched an online form for residents to anonymously share their thoughts and opinions about the cannabis program.
Separately, a Delaware House committee in January approved the bill to decriminalize the public consumption of marijuana.
While some legal marijuana states like Colorado and Ohio still impose criminal penalties for public use of cannabis, Delaware stands out as particularly punitive, with a maximum penalty that carries the risk of jail time in addition to a fine.
user photo Brian Shamblen.
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Existing medical cannabis licensing fees will be temporarily applied to recreational marijuana businesses, the Select Committee decided on May 5. Board members agreed 4-1 to the temporary change, as long as officials say the fees are higher than necessary and accurately reflect the town’s oversight costs.
Bryce Cobb, Livermore Falls’ code enforcement officer, plumbing inspector, health officer and E-911 dispatcher, said voters approved the amended cannabis ordinance on April 28. Cobb said the amended ordinance allows recreational marijuana businesses and the next step was to establish a fee schedule. Recreational cannabis businesses operating in town would require local licensing approval under the ordinance.
Asked if he had fee schedules from other towns to compare, Cobb said he did not. Additionally, the town’s fee schedule specifically mentions medicinal cannabis.
“So it could be medical and adult use,” Cobb said when discussing whether the existing fee structure could apply to recreational businesses.
Read more at Sun Magazine
Cannabis News
Georgia Governor Signs Bill To Expand Medical Marijuana Access By Allowing Vaping And Adding New Qualifying Conditions
The governor of Georgia has signed a bill expand access to medical marijuana in the state.
SB 220, which was approved by Gov. Brian Kemp (R) on Tuesday, will add new requirements to the program, allow patients to vape medical cannabis, and change THC potency limits, among other reforms.
Under the legislation, patients with lupus will be allowed access to medical marijuana, under current state law that allows people with cancer, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, autism spectrum disorder, intractable pain and other conditions to qualify.
The bill by Sen. Matt Brass (R) removes many of the requirements for a patient to be in a critical or terminal condition to enter the medical cannabis program.
The reform will also expand how patients can use medical marijuana. Until now, they have been able to obtain oils, tinctures, capsules, lozenges, topicals and transdermal patches, but the new law will also allow vaping as a form of vaping for patients over 21, while continuing to ban smoking for all patients.
The Putting Georgia’s Patients First Act also replaces the current 5 percent THC potency limit on medical cannabis products with a limit of 12,000 milligrams of THC that a patient can possess at any one time.
“These changes, while meaningful to affected patients, do not materially change where Georgia stands in the national landscape on this issue,” Kemp said in a signing statement. “This bill passed with a constitutional majority in both houses of the General Assembly.”
“I, like many who opposed this bill, have reservations about legalizing recreational cannabis. Many states that have legalized recreational cannabis have regretted that decision,” he said. “I also recognize that for some patients, medical cannabis provides significant relief from symptoms that would otherwise be untreated or treated with even more harmful opioids.”
“I do not believe that a well-implemented medical cannabis program should inevitably lead to the legalization of recreational use in Georgia, nor is the issue of recreational use on the bill on my desk for signature,” the governor said.
The invoice also replaces references to “low THC oil” in current laws with “medical cannabis.”
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It’s Marijuana Time tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelic and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters by pledging at least $25/month, you’ll get access to our interactive maps, charts, and audio calendars so you never miss a development.
Learn more about our marijuana bill tracking and become a Patreon supporter to gain access
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The Georgia Medical Cannabis Access Commission, which oversees the program, “will have a new duty to inform citizens, law enforcement and health care providers about the effective uses of medical cannabis and its products, including publishing materials and conducting outreach and public education activities to inform the public, law enforcement and health care providers about this state’s medical cannabis program and the potential benefits for patients.”
Last year, the leaders of the Chamber a Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Georgia’s Medical Marijuana and Hemp Policies to examine state cannabis laws.
Georgia lawmakers have also considered the legislation supporting research into the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics.
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The growing tension between international scientific findings and US health policy has raised questions about whether Medicare beneficiaries are being exposed to cannabinoid products whose safety profiles have not been fully established.
In March 2026, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) carried out a formal scientific evaluation of a shipment of Charlotte’s Web hemp product, concluding that the safety of a carbon dioxide extract derived from Cannabis sativa L. “cannot be established”. The agency identified several gaps in the available data, including significant portions of the product remaining uncharacterized, a lack of reliable toxicological studies on the actual material, a lack of human clinical data, and an unknown allergenicity and long-term safety profile.
At the same time, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the Substance Access Beneficiary Engagement Incentive (BEI) program. The initiative allows participating healthcare providers to discuss and supply certain hemp and marijuana-derived cannabinoid products to Medicare beneficiaries under the authority of the Center for Innovation, and does not require approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. That distinction is at issue in a pending federal case: Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), et al. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. et al., Case 1:26-cv-01081 (U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia).
Under the FDA’s standard framework, products intended for therapeutic use typically undergo controlled clinical trials, dose standardization, safety and toxicology evaluation, and manufacturing and stability validation. The BEI program operates outside of this structure. Some observers point out that this could introduce products into federally funded care settings before those benchmarks are met, while proponents of the program characterize it as a legitimate model of innovation.
Medicare beneficiaries represent a medically complex population, with many patients managing multiple medications, chronic conditions, and increased susceptibility to drug interactions. Cannabinoid compounds, including THC, interact with metabolic pathways such as CYP450 enzymes, which process many common medications. The safety profile of these products in this population has not been fully characterized through controlled studies.
Following the launch of the program, several companies publicly announced their positioning within the emerging healthcare supply chain. Charlotte’s Web highlighted alignment with CMS drivers and Cornbread Hemp announced institutional distribution through a national group buying organization, reflecting broader commercialization activity in the category.
SAM v. In Kennedy, the court is evaluating whether CMS overstepped its statutory authority by introducing avenues for the supply of cannabinoids without formal regulations, public notice and comment, or FDA validation standards. A resolution will determine whether the program is scaled back, modified, or stopped pending further review as implemented.
The EFSA’s conclusion does not ban the marketing of CBD products, but indicates that the scientific evidence necessary to fully establish their safety remains incomplete. The political debate reflects a broader question in health care regulation: how to balance the pace of innovation for therapeutic products with the standards of evidence typically required in federally funded systems of care.
Source: MMJ International Holdings
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