Signed by Governor Gary Herbert

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

A vote to pass a bill that allows terminal ill patients to try medical marijuana.

Highlights:

• Defines “terminally ill patient” as a patient with an incurable and irreversible disease that will, within the determination of reasonable medical judgement, produce death within 6 months (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes physicians to recommend cannabis-based treatment to a terminally ill patient if they believe, in their professional judgement, that it will provide some benefit to the patient (Sec. 3).

• Specifies that a physician may not recommend cannabis-based treatment to more than 25 terminally ill patients at any given time (Sec. 3). 

• Specifies that the recommendation may be for up to a one-month supply of cannabis, which may be renewed at the physician’s discretion (Sec. 3). 

• Requires a physician to provide, upon any recommendation for cannabis-based treatment, a document that describes the possible positive and negative outcomes of such treatment, and states that an insurer is not required to cover the cost of such treatment (Sec. 3). 

• Specifies that a physician does not possess civil or criminal liability for any harm done to a terminally ill patient by a cannabis-based treatment (Sec. 4).

Full Bill Text