Panel votes to codify telemedicine access for medical-marijuana certification

Senate Bill 703 was presented to the committee as a clarification that patients who qualify for medical-marijuana cards may obtain their certification via telemedicine. Senator Greg Gladding (District 4) said the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated telemedicine and that the bill would put in code what has already been practiced under emergency orders. "What we're doing with Senate Bill 703 is just clarifying that a person who qualifies for [a] medical marijuana card can obtain their license via telemedicine," Gladding said.

Committee members asked whether the practice had already been occurring under emergency orders; members acknowledged telemedicine had been used for a little over a year during the pandemic. No members of the public signed up to speak for or against the bill. The committee moved and passed the bill.

The transcript does not record statutory cross-references, the precise text being codified, or details about continuing telemedicine practice beyond the committee vote.