DOVER, Del. --- A new law signed this month by Delaware Gov. John Carney could potentially expand access to medical cannabis for people who are not diagnosed with a qualified condition that falls under the state's existing list of conditions that qualify for the legal access to the drug.
Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 24 allows, under certain circumstances, for people to apply for medical marijuana without having a condition pre-approved by the state if:
- A patient, or a legal guardian for patients under the age of 18 years old, signed statement attesting to the patient's informed consent to try a treatment that does not have medical evidence of effectiveness
- The patient’s physician certify that the patient has a severe and debilitating condition, current standard care practices and treatments have been exhausted, and there are grounds to support that the patient may benefit from this treatment
The bill was signed into law this month by Gov. John Carney and differs from a prior iteration that allowed doctors to recommend a patient's eligibility for medical marijuana if a doctor believed the drug could provide a palliative or therapeutic benefit for any condition.
