Oregon Governor Signs Ryan’s Law, Requiring Care Facilities to Allow Medical Marijuana Use
- Oregon's Governor signed House Bill 4142 (Ryan’s Law), requiring certain care facilities to allow qualified medical marijuana patients to use cannabis on-site, with safety, storage, and staff training standards; most provisions take effect in 2027.
- The law mandates facilities to create detailed policies on obtaining, storing, administering, and disposing of marijuana, and requires staff training on marijuana pharmacology, therapeutic use, dosing, delivery systems, and drug interactions.
- Ryan’s Law expands eligibility for medical marijuana to include hospice, palliative, and comfort care patients, and provides legal protections for facilities and nurses discussing medical marijuana, while exempting hospitals and certain home care programs.
- The Oregon Health Authority will begin designating additional caregiver facilities before 2027, with deadlines for policy implementation by June 30, 2027, and mandatory staff training by December 31, 2027; patients must hold valid registry cards or recent application receipts to qualify.
Oregon’s governor has signed House Bill 4142, known as Ryan’s Law, establishing new requirements for certain care facilities to allow qualified patients to use medical marijuana while also setting statewide standards for safety, storage and staff training.
The measure was approved by the House in a 39 to 3 vote and by the Senate 20 to 8 before being sent to the governor. With the governor’s signature, the legislation now moves toward implementation, with most provisions taking effect in 2027.
Ryan’s Law centers on patients living in care environments, including certain residential facilities and organizations serving individuals with serious medical needs. Under the new law, facilities designated as an additional caregiver for a medical marijuana patient must allow qualifying residents to use marijuana on-site, addressing a long-standing gap for patients who previously faced restrictions in these settings.
Facilities covered by the law will be required to adopt detailed written policies outlining how marijuana and cannabinoid products are obtained, stored, administered and disposed of. These policies must include clear procedures for handling products, ensuring patient safety, and properly disposing of unused marijuana.
The law also mandates training for direct care staff. Employees will need to complete education on marijuana pharmacology, its therapeutic use, dosing methods, delivery systems, and how to identify potential drug interactions or contraindications before assisting patients who use medical marijuana.
Not all healthcare settings fall under the new requirements. Hospitals and hospital-affiliated clinics designated as additional caregivers are exempt, along with certain residential treatment homes, home health agencies, and hospice programs that provide care in a home health setting.
In addition to facility-related changes, HB 4142 expands the definition of qualifying conditions under Oregon’s medical marijuana program. The law adds eligibility for individuals requiring hospice, palliative care, comfort care, or other forms of symptom management, including comprehensive pain treatment. This change is expected to broaden access to the program for patients with serious or end-of-life conditions.
The measure also includes legal protections for participating facilities. Organizations designated as additional caregivers will be shielded from certain state criminal penalties related to marijuana possession, delivery, or manufacture when acting in compliance with the law. Additionally, the Oregon State Board of Nursing is barred from disciplining nurses solely for discussing medical marijuana use with patients.
Patients seeking to use medical marijuana in these facilities must either hold a valid registry identification card or have applied for one and possess a receipt issued within the previous 35 days.
Under the implementation timeline, the Oregon Health Authority may begin conditionally designating facilities as additional caregivers prior to the law’s operative date of January 1, 2027. Facilities must have required policies in place by June 30, 2027, and ensure staff training is available by December 31, 2027, or risk losing their designation.
Oregon legalized medical marijuana in 1998 and later approved adult-use marijuana in 2014, with licensed retail sales beginning in 2016. Despite the state’s established marijuana system, Ryan’s Law focuses specifically on improving access for patients in care settings, where use has often been limited despite legal eligibility.