Colorado House Votes to Add Autism to State’s Medical Cannabis Program
Legislation to add autism spectrum disorders to Colorado’s medical cannabis program has been passed through its second reading in the House of Representatives.
House Bill 1263, filed by State Representative Edith Hooton (D), was passed by the House today, less than three weeks after its introduction. It must now be passed through a third reading before it can be sent to the Senate for consideration. If passed by the Senate it will be sent to Governor Jared Polis who is expected to sign it into law if given the opportunity.
According to its official summary, “The bill adds autism spectrum disorders to the list of disabling medical conditions that authorize a person to use medical marijuana for his or her condition.”
Under current law, “a child under 18 years of age who wants to be added to the medical marijuana registry for a disabling medical condition must be diagnosed as having a disabling medical condition by two physicians, one of whom must be a board-certified pediatrician, a board-certified family physician, or a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist who attests that he or she is part of the patient’s primary care provider team. ” House Bill 1263 “removes the additional requirements on specific physicians to align with the constitutional provisions for a debilitating medical condition.”
If House Bill 1263 becomes law, autism spectrum disorders would join the following qualifying conditions in Colorado:
- Cancer
- Glaucoma
- HIV or AIDS
- Cachexia
- Persistent muscle spasms
- Seizures
- Severe nausea
- Severe pain
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)