Marijuana Moment
The Massachusetts Senate has passed a bill containing provisions aimed at increasing military veterans’ access to medical marijuana and adding new qualifying conditions to the state’s medical cannabis program is advancing in the legislature.
The Senate approved an amend version of the House-passed measure on Thursday by a vote of 35 to 4, sending the legislation back to its originating chamber for reconciliation on recent changes.
The large-scale supplemental budget bill touches on a number of issues, including one section that would potentially allow veterans to receive a state medical cannabis card without having to get a recommendation from a doctor.
The initial version of the legislation was filed by Gov. Maura Healey (D), though some provisions of her initial proposal were amended or removed by the House of Representatives last month and were further changed by the Senate. If the two chambers agree on a final version it would then go back to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.
Because the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continues to prohibit its providers from filling out medical marijuana recommendation forms, many of their veteran patients are forced to either seek outside, often expensive physician consultations or go without legal access to medical cannabis.
Read More