Nevada Governor Signs Bill to Expand Medical Cannabis Program
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]N[/dropcap]evada Gov. Steve Sisolak signed 65 bills during the last few days of the legislative session. One of those bills related to medical cannabis and will expand qualifying conditions for patient access.
Senate Bill 430 was written for the purposes of “expanding the definition of ‘chronic or debilitating medical condition.’” Specifically, this will allow patients who suffer from anxiety disorders, autism, chronic pain, opioid dependency, and more to obtain a recommendation for medical cannabis consumption. Now people who suffer from medical conditions other than seizures can use cannabis as medicine.
The bill text also describes the process of how medical cannabis patients may apply for their medical cards. “Existing law generally exempts a person who holds a valid registry identification card or letter of approval from state prosecution for possession, delivery and production of marijuana,” the bill states. “To obtain a registry identification card or letter of approval, an applicant must submit to the Division of Public and Behavioral Health of the Department of Health and Human Services, among other requirements, a signature from the applicant’s attending provider of healthcare affirming that the applicant has been diagnosed with a chronic or debilitating medical condition. This bill expands the definition of ‘chronic or debilitating medical condition’ to include certain additional medical conditions.”
SB-430 will take effect on July 1 and will serve the estimated 18,000 current medical cannabis patients who are registered in the state.
Nevada legislators are on a roll right now, as much progress has been made on the cannabis front. One county in Nevada is using cannabis funds to help the local homeless population. The state recently approved 61 more dispensaries. Overall incoming cannabis tax revenue is at an all time high for Nevada as well.
