Minnesota hospitals will soon have more treatment options for patients
Hospitals in Minnesota will soon be allowed to dispense
marijuana:
The Legislature has taken steps to expand the availability of medical marijuana to Minnesota hospitals when it becomes legal in July.
When state lawmakers approved the original law authorizing health care providers to dispense the drug, they didn't include hospitals where terminally ill patients could end up.
This week, the legislature corrected the impending law:
The Legislature has added hospitals to the list of facilities that can control, dispense and manage the use of cannabis inside their systems, said Manny Munson-Regala, an assistant state health commissioner. Gov. Mark Dayton signed off on the change, he said.
"Those hospitals that are willing to continue the care regimen of those patients in their hospital setting, they said the state law needs to give us the same abilities and immunities that are afforded nursing homes," Munson-Regala said.
An important change for patients suffering from chronic or fatal illness. If you've ever been to a hospice facility, most of the patients receive a steady stream of Lorazepam (Ativan), an anti-anxiety medication that keeps them sedated. There is no reason they shouldn't be afforded the opportunity to take medical marijuana instead, if desired and/or prescribed by their physician.