Sunset Medical Marijuana Program

Medical marijuana program - physician relationship - primary caregiver relationship - dentist or advanced practice practitioner make recommendations - card validity length - health effects panel conflict disclosures - sunset - appropriation. In a bona fide physician-patient relationship for purposes of a medical marijuana recommendation, the act clarifies that if the patient is a child, as part of the relationship the physician must consult with the patient's parents. The act clarifies that a parent can be a primary caregiver for a child with a disabling medical condition. The act clarifies that a primary caregiver for a person with a debilitating or disabling medical condition receives the same confidentiality protections as other primary caregivers. The act clarifies that if a person with a medical marijuana card is convicted of a drug crime, the card is subject to revocation.

The act allows a dentist or advanced practice practitioner with prescriptive authority acting within the scope of his or her practice to make medical marijuana recommendations for a disabling medical condition. The act gives the state health agency the authority to promulgate rules regarding the length of time that a medical marijuana card for a disabling medical condition is valid.

Under current law there is a health care panel (panel) that monitors the health effects of marijuana and provides a report every two years. The act requires the panel to include individuals with expertise in neuroscience, epidemiology, toxicology, cannabis physiology, and cannabis quality control. The act requires the panelists to disclose all financial interests related to the health care industry and the regulated marijuana industry and report those disclosures in the panel's report. The act gives the department of public health and environment the authority to collect Colorado-specific data that involves health outcomes associated with cannabis from all-payer claims data, hospital discharge data, and available peer-reviewed research studies.

The act extends the medical marijuana program until September 1, 2028, and requires a sunset review prior to the repeal. The act makes other technical changes and repeals obsolete provisions.

The act appropriates $114,007 to the department of public health and environment from the medical marijuana program cash fund, of which $100,000 is for operating expenses for the registry and $14,007 is for personal services. The act appropriates $560,143 to the department of regulatory agencies from the division of professions and occupations cash fund of which $535,456 is for legal services and $24,687 is for personal services.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)