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Colorado Lawmakers Approve Bill To Allow Medical Marijuana Use In Hospitals By Terminally Ill Patients

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3 months ago

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Colorado House lawmakers have passed a Senate-passed bill allow terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana in healthcare facilities such as hospitals— though advocates have warned that the measure’s latest change undermines its original intent.

Weeks after advancing in the Senate, with amendments, Sen. Kyle Mullica’s (D) legislation cleared the House Health and Human Services Committee on a 10-2 vote Thursday. It has now been referred to the Full House Committee, potentially ahead of schedule.

Reps. Sheila Lieder (D) and Lisa Feret (D) are co-sponsoring the House bill, and they pushed for the reform before the committee took public testimony on the final version.

“He brought this bill to us from the patient’s perspective,” Lieder said Thursday. “We want to ensure continuity of care when patients are treated in a hospital or health center.”

“There have been many participants in this Senate bill. Several amendments were passed in the Senate committee without opposition,” he said. “That really puts us in a good place with hospitals, especially given that participation is not mandated and permissive.”

According to Feret, the legislation is “an excellent opportunity for people to have autonomy in deciding how they want to spend their time on this earth and how they want to treat their pain and give them that autonomy.”

“Some of the amendments that came in softened it a little bit, and some people are not happy that it was softened,” he said. “But that’s the beauty of making political commitments in this building is that we try to get to a good place.”

Several advocates testified about these changes, arguing that making hospitals allow the use of medical cannabis in their facilities would essentially be the reform’s intent.

Jim Bartell, the father of a young patient in California who passed it and who inspired the policy known as Ryan’s Law in his home state and several other states, urged committee members to return the bill to its original language and use the original language of “must” and “must” to avoid creating a network of health care facilities that allow or prohibit the use of medical cannabis.

“For families like mine, this legislation isn’t theoretical. It’s part of ethical, compassionate care,” she said.

Ken Sobel, an attorney for the Cannabis Nurses Network, said “the order is very important because it is time wasted looking for a facility that allows the use of cannabis that literally jeopardizes your ability to be with your close and loving family member.”

“Changing ‘must’ or ‘shall’ removes that fundamental protection of Ryan’s law,” he said.

Lieder, one of the bill sponsors, said testimony that he had just learned of the amendments which the defenders oppose. So while he was led to agree to the legislation, he said he will “be happy to continue” working with his colleagues to tackle the issue.

Underneath SB 26-007healthcare facilities would be allowed to develop guidelines for the use, storage and administration of medical marijuana.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) would prohibit requiring compliance with the policy as a condition of obtaining or renewing a license or certificate under the bill. Healthcare facilities would be allowed to suspend the policy change if they risked enforcement action by a federal agency.

“In FY 2026-27, the workload of CDPHE’s Division of Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services will increase minimally to provide outreach and education to licensed health facilities about the use of medical marijuana,” a fiscal impact analysis states. “The department may also request legal services, provided by the Department of Law, related to rulemaking and implementation. This workload may be done within existing appropriations.”

Other Senate-passed amendments add additional enforcement language that would not require health care facilities to store or dispense medical cannabis and limit legal liability for health care facilities that permit the use of medical marijuana.

—
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.

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Meanwhile, in Colorado, the state saw more than $1 billion in marijuana sales — a milestone the governor announced in December —.

Gov. Jared Polis (D) also said last month his state did not have to join a lawsuit supporting a federal ban on the possession of guns by people who use marijuana that recently went before the US Supreme Court, and he personally opposes the state attorney general’s “legal position on this.”

Max Jackson’s photo.

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Columbia hemp business Burning Acre to close and move to North Carolina over new Tennessee rules

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4 hours ago

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June 14, 2026

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Burning Acre, a Columbia, Tennessee-based hemp company, says it will close its retail store and move operations to North Carolina ahead of new state regulations that take effect July 1, according to WSMV.

The business says its last day to open in Columbia will be June 30, the same day the Tennessee Department of Agriculture licenses for hemp-derived cannabinoids expire. As of July 1, businesses that continue to operate in the state will be required to be licensed under a new regulatory framework led by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

Burning Acre says the changes have forced it to abandon plans for a new sandwich shop and bakery and close its Tennessee retail operations and relocate to Murphy, North Carolina. “I won’t sugarcoat it, it’s a very hard video for me and a message I should never have written,” the business wrote.

The business puts the annual cost of manufacturing, distribution and running the retail store at about $750. Under the new rules, he says, those costs would rise by tens of thousands of dollars, citing new licensing fees, a required $25,000 annual bond and increased testing fees.

The law, which took effect in July, changes the regulation of hemp-derived cannabinoid businesses from the Department of Agriculture to the ABC. The Department of Agriculture stopped issuing licenses at the end of 2025, and the licenses issued by the TDA will remain valid until June 30, 2026.

“Columbia, we absolutely love being a part of this community,” said Burning Acre. “We are truly heartbroken to have to say goodbye to this location.”

Read more at WSMV4










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North Carolina Lawmakers Advance Bill To Set A Minimum Age Limit For Hemp And Kratom Products

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5 hours ago

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June 14, 2026

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“Many other details about cannabis have been debated and will continue to be debated.”

By Christine Zhu, NC Newsline

Lawmakers in North Carolina are considering banning people under 21 from buying or possessing certain hemp-derived consumables, including combustible hemp flower, hemp cigarettes, gummies and drinks, or items that include the drug kratom.

The House Agriculture and Environment Committee approved a rewrite of Senate Bill 59 on Wednesday. This is the latest attempt by state legislators after years of proposals to regulate the sale of hemp products that didn’t work out in the end.

This measure would prohibit companies from selling such products to under-21s. If the seller has “reasonable grounds” to believe that the buyer is under the age of 21, the seller must verify the buyer’s ID.

Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin), who introduced the bill, said he was motivated to bring public attention to issues surrounding cannabis. He said there was a 14-year-old boy in his neighborhood who had an emergency after buying a hemp-derived product.

“There are a lot of other details about cannabis that have been debated and will continue to be debated, but ladies and gentlemen, to make sure we have the good sense to be agents of these kinds of issues, that’s the lowest hanging fruit,” he said.

Violators would face a Class 2 felony, as well as a fine of $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second offense and $1,500 for subsequent offenses.

asked Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford). of the bill language resulted in potential changes to hemp-derived products. It is common for manufacturers of synthetic recreational drugs to make changes to the chemical composition of their products to avoid legal bans or restrictions.

“I assume the definition as written is broad enough to capture any future manipulation of molecules,” he said. Dixon nodded.

Legislators also voted in favor correction To add kratom products to the under-21 ban.

Rep. Jeffrey McNeely (R-Iredell), who proposed the amendment, said it was necessary to add those elements to the bill.

“I’ve been working on this for quite some time, trying to get these bills passed,” McNeely said. “We definitely have a problem. So I’m hoping we can keep posting this and we’ll get something done before we get out of the short session here.”

Both the amendment and the legislation passed unanimously without debate.

The bill moves next to the House Rules Committee. Other amendments will be heard when they appear on the House floor, which could be as soon as next week.

This story was first published by NC Newsline.

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GreenTech Amsterdam 2026 in 2026 photos

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1 day ago

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June 13, 2026

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Well, it’s not 2026 photos, but with around 600 photos, we definitely did our best. For the past two days, the Netherlands has been the place to be for the global greenhouse industry. From Flower Trials for the horticulture sector, company visits to growers and technical suppliers, as well as dinners, get-togethers, drinks, knowledge sessions and much more. And of course with GreenTech Amsterdam.

The event brought together professionals from around the world to connect, network, share knowledge and do business.

Next week, we’ll be sharing more information on market developments, trends, what’s on display, news, business news, innovations and whatever else you can think of, but for now we’ll stick to photo reporting.

Click here for the photo report.

© Arlette Sijmonsma | MMJDaily.com










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