Virginia House Approves Medical Cannabis Access Bill for Terminally Ill Patients With 97 to 1 Vote
- Virginia House of Delegates approved Senate Bill 332 to allow terminally ill patients to continue using medical cannabis in hospitals and health facilities.
- The bill protects healthcare employees from prosecution when administering medical cannabis oil to patients with valid certifications.
- The Virginia Department of Health is required to form a work group, including healthcare professionals, to develop safe usage guidelines and review federal regulations, with a report due by November 1, 2026.
- The legislation focuses on maintaining access for terminally ill patients in regulated environments without expanding access broadly and awaits the Senate’s concurrence before going to the governor.
A proposal to ensure terminally ill patients can continue using medical cannabis while receiving care in hospitals and other health facilities was given approval today by the Virginia House of Delegates. Senate Bill 332, sponsored by State Senator Barbara Favola (D), passed the House today by a vote of 97 to 1. The measure had already cleared the Senate unanimously, but because the House adopted a substitute version, the bill must return to the Senate for a concurrence vote before being sent to Governor Glenn Youngkin.
The House substitute amends state law to explicitly protect employees of hospitals, nursing homes, hospice facilities and assisted living facilities from prosecution when they store, dispense or administer medical cannabis oil to patients with a valid written certification.
It also requires the Virginia Department of Health to convene a work group to examine how medical cannabis can be safely provided within medical care settings and to develop written guidelines for its use.
Under the substitute, the work group must include representatives from hospital and health care associations, providers and hospice professionals. The group is directed to review any relevant federal guidance and assess how potential changes to marijuana’s status under the federal Controlled Substances Act could affect implementation. A report with recommended guidelines is due to key House and Senate committees by November 1, 2026.
Rather than broadly expanding access, the legislation focuses on ensuring that terminally ill patients who are already authorized to use medical cannabis can continue doing so while receiving care in regulated medical environments, without placing health care staff at legal risk.
If the Senate agrees to the House substitute in an upcoming concurrence vote, the measure will head to the governor for final consideration.