Colorado Governor Signs Bill Allowing Medical Marijuana Use in Health Facilities

Colorado Governor Jared Polis has signed a bill into law allowing certain terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana while admitted to or residing at participating health facilities.

Senate Bill 7 applies to terminally ill patients who are registered with Colorado’s medical marijuana program. Under the new law, health facilities may choose to allow the use of non-smokable marijuana products, including edibles, tinctures, capsules and other non-combustible forms of medicine. The measure does not require participation, leaving the decision up to each individual facility.

That makes the final version of the law narrower than earlier proposals, which would have required health facilities to allow such use. Instead, facilities that opt in will be responsible for creating their own policies on possession, storage, administration and other restrictions needed to protect patients and maintain safe operations.

The law also includes protections for facilities that decide not to participate. It says the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment cannot make compliance a condition for receiving or renewing a license or certification. In addition, facilities would not be expected to comply if doing so would violate state law, threaten federal funding, interfere with Medicare or Medicaid, or create conflicts with accreditation or licensing standards.

The measure also gives facilities the ability to suspend compliance if a federal agency takes action that would require them to do so.

With Governor Polis’ signature, the law is set to take effect August 12, 2026. The change will give some terminally ill patients a new option for accessing medical marijuana in care settings, while still allowing health facilities to decide for themselves whether and how to accommodate its use.