A bill moving through the Virginia General Assembly would allow hospital staff to store and administer medical cannabis oil to patients who have a valid medical certification.
Virginia already allows certified patients to use medical cannabis, and state law permits its use in nursing homes, hospice facilities and assisted living centers. But that list doesn’t include hospitals, said Melissa Stacy, a regional advocacy director for national end-of-life advocacy group Compassion & Choices.
She said the legislation would ensure that nurses at hospitals can legally handle cannabis oil for patients without facing criminal penalties.
“If someone is receiving medical cannabis at home or in hospice and then needs to be transferred to a hospital, this helps ensure that care doesn’t get interrupted,” Stacy said.
The bill originally would have required medical facilities to allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis. But lawmakers later adopted an amended version that focuses on establishing rules for how hospitals could handle cannabis oil safely, Stacy said.
She said some hospice facilities or patients choose to use cannabis oil to manage symptoms such as pain, nausea or muscle spasms.
Now, Virginia’s House of Delegates and Senate have each approved different versions of the bill and are hashing out the details.
Under the current House version, the Virginia Department of Health would develop regulations governing how cannabis oil could be stored, dispensed and administered in medical settings.
The bill also directs state officials to convene a work group made up of hospital representatives, health care providers and hospice experts. That group would develop recommendations on how the policy should be implemented and report them to lawmakers by Nov. 1.
Chesapeake Regional Healthcare, the primary hospital system in Chesapeake, said patients are not currently allowed to use outside supplements or medications during a hospital stay unless the products are reviewed and dispensed through the hospital’s pharmacy.
Virginia lawmakers also considered a separate proposal this year that would have allowed medical aid in dying for certain terminally ill patients, but the measure did not advance.
Stacy said the medical use of cannabis oil would not be a “substitute” for legislation allowing medical aid in dying, but rather another “option” for patients facing serious or terminal illness to help manage symptoms and discomfort at the end of life.
