A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 32.1-127.4, relating to medical care facilities; expanded access to medical cannabis for terminally ill patients.
HB486 would require Virginia medical care facilities to adopt policies allowing certain eligible patients to use medical cannabis during an inpatient stay. The bill defines an eligible patient as an adult Virginia resident diagnosed with a terminal disease, with that diagnosis confirmed by a consulting health care provider after an in-person examination and review of medical records. Facilities would have to create rules governing when and how cannabis may be used, including requiring written certification, documenting use in the medical record, and setting storage and safety restrictions.
The bill specifically prohibits smoking or vaping medical cannabis in facilities and allows hospitals and other medical care facilities to limit storage and use, including requiring locked containers, to protect other patients, visitors, and staff and to ensure compliance with state law and facility operations. It also excludes emergency medical services and emergency departments while a patient is receiving emergency care. The bill does not require facilities to provide cannabis, only to establish policies for permitted use under the state Medical Cannabis Program.
HB486 would add a new section to the Virginia Code, § 32.1-127.4, creating a statutory framework for inpatient medical cannabis access in medical care facilities for terminally ill adult residents. It would affect hospitals and other medical care facilities by imposing policy-development obligations and by requiring coordination with the Medical Cannabis Program, medical recordkeeping, and safety procedures. The bill would also affect eligible terminally ill patients by giving them a clearer legal pathway to use medical cannabis during inpatient treatment, subject to facility rules and existing drug and medication requirements.
The available context suggests generally favorable treatment of the bill, as reflected by its incorporation into another measure by the House Committee on Health and Human Services. No recorded votes or committee debate are provided, so there is no direct evidence of opposition in the materials supplied. The bill’s framing indicates a policy approach aimed at expanding compassionate access while preserving facility control and patient safety.
The main points of potential contention are likely to be the balance between patient access and institutional control, and the practical and legal burdens on medical facilities. Facilities may be concerned about safety, storage, documentation, and compliance with drug and medication rules, while supporters are likely focused on ensuring terminally ill patients can use medical cannabis during inpatient care. The explicit ban on smoking and vaping, the exclusion of emergency settings, and the requirement that facilities only permit—not provide—cannabis suggest the bill tries to address these concerns by limiting the scope of access.