Assembly Bill A8469

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8469
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 16, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Health
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  public  health  law, in relation to authorizing
   certain patients to use medical cannabis at certain health care facil-
   ities
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  public health law is amended by adding a new section
 2832 to read as follows:
   § 2832. MEDICAL CANNABIS ACCESS IN HEALTH CARE FACILITIES. 1. FOR  THE
 PURPOSES  OF  THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING
 MEANINGS:
   (A) "HEALTH CARE FACILITY" SHALL MEAN A HOSPITAL OR  NURSING  HOME  AS
 SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED BY SECTION TWENTY-EIGHT HUNDRED ONE OF THIS ARTI-
 CLE.
   (B)  "MEDICAL  CANNABIS"  SHALL  HAVE  THE  SAME MEANING AS DEFINED BY
 SUBDIVISION THIRTY-THREE OF SECTION THREE OF THE CANNABIS LAW.
   (C) "PATIENT" SHALL MEAN AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS TERMINALLY ILL.
   (D) "TERMINALLY ILL" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS DEFINED BY  SUBDI-
 VISION FIFTY-ONE OF SECTION THREE OF THE CANNABIS LAW.
   2. A HEALTH CARE FACILITY SHALL PERMIT PATIENT USE OF MEDICAL CANNABIS
 WHILE AT SUCH HEALTH CARE FACILITY AND SHALL:
   (A)  PROHIBIT  SMOKING OR VAPING AS METHODS TO USE SUCH MEDICAL CANNA-
 BIS;
   (B) INCLUDE THE USE OF MEDICAL  CANNABIS  IN  SUCH  PATIENT'S  MEDICAL
 RECORDS;
   (C)  REQUIRE  SUCH  PATIENT  TO PROVIDE A COPY OF SUCH PATIENT'S VALID
 REGISTRY IDENTIFICATION CARD PURSUANT TO ARTICLE THREE OF  THE  CANNABIS
 LAW;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11830-01-5
 A. 8469                             2
 
              

   (D)  REASONABLY REGULATE THE WAY IN WHICH SUCH PATIENT STORES AND USES
 MEDICAL CANNABIS, INCLUDING REQUIRING THE MEDICAL CANNABIS BE STORED  IN
 A LOCKED CONTAINER; AND
   (E)  DEVELOP AND DISSEMINATE WRITTEN GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF MEDICAL
 CANNABIS WITHIN SUCH HEALTH CARE FACILITY PURSUANT TO ARTICLE  THREE  OF
 THE CANNABIS LAW.
   3. THIS SECTION SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED TO REDUCE, EXPAND, OR OTHERWISE
 MODIFY LAWS RESTRICTING CULTIVATION, POSSESSION, DISTRIBUTION, OR UTILI-
 ZATION OF CANNABIS WHICH MAY BE OTHERWISE APPLICABLE.
   4.  THIS SECTION SHALL NOT REQUIRE A HEALTH CARE FACILITY TO PROVIDE A
 PATIENT WITH A RECOMMENDATION TO USE MEDICAL CANNABIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH
 SECTION THIRTY-ONE OF THE CANNABIS LAW.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.