Two bills related to Mississippi's medical cannabis program passed in the House of Representatives this week. One bill extends the timeframe for a patient's follow-up visit to keep their medical cannabis card valid, while a second bill creates a system where patients suffering from debilitating or terminal conditions not already on the state's list of approved conditions can petition to try medical cannabis.
Authored by State Rep. Lee Yancey (R), HB 895 extends the time that an approved patient's medical cannabis card remains valid before a follow-up visit is required to 24 months.
"It extends the validity period of a practitioner's written certification from 12 months to 24 months," Yancey described to the House on Wednesday. Currently, the law requires a patient to make a mandatory 6-month follow-up visit with their provider, but this bill would eliminate that if it becomes law. HB 895 also allows the practitioner to request a follow-up evaluation at their discretion.
"Just removing the word mandatory. The practitioner can still require the patient to come back as often as necessary," Yancey added.
Read more at SCT Online
