The House Health and Human Services committee has passed a pair of medical marijuana bills modifying the state’s program.
Senate Bill 10 requires a medical marijuana patient’s primary practitioner to be notified of the patient’s involvement in the program.
Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt is the Republican Assistant Majority Leader and chaired the committee. She said there have been many modifications to the program already.
“In 2021 we had two bills, 2022 we had 16 bills, 2023 we had six bills, and in 2024 we’ve had 14 bills introduced. We have created some of this burden on the department. So my question is, which I am glad the conversation seems like it should go forward, is whose responsibility is that when we’ve created some of that regulator burden?”
Despite Rehfedlt’s concern, committee members voted 7 to 4 to pass the bill.
Senate Bill 11 aims to prohibit practitioners from referring a patient to a family member who owns or has financial interest in a medical cannabis clinic.
Republican Representative Kevin Jensen serves on the committee and is co-sponsor of both bills. He said the bills seem small but are important clarifications of the law.
“I would say that the department and the industry have been working together and it seems like we have kind of come down to a very, not really a minor detail, but it is a detail that needs to be worked out but I think we need to move this forward for that to happen,” Jensen said.
The committee passed the bill in a 10 to two vote.
The legislature is considering a host of medical marijuana-related bills this session as the state continues setting regulations after voters approved medical marijuana in 2020.
