Cancer is one of the scariest, most life changing words in our language. From the moment that word came out of my doctor’s mouth, I began to think about my family and how I needed to spend more time with them. I just wanted to be in their presence, hear their voices, talk about our shared memories, but most of all, let them know how much I loved them. I’m one of the lucky ones, but others don’t always get to spend the end of their lives with that opportunity.
 
The bill I am introducing would create the Compassionate Access to Medical Cannabis Act, which will also be known as Ryan’s Law. Ryan Bartell developed terminal pancreatic cancer in his early 40’s. During his treatments in California the hospital provided him with opioid medications that caused him to be sedated and unable to interact with family and friends. Ryan and his family wanted to ensure that his remaining days could be filled with visits from his loved ones. So, Ryan moved to a hospital in the State of Washington where he used medical marijuana to manage his pain effectively and allow him to stay awake and alert to spend time with family and friends during hospital visits. His father noted that only ten weeks separated his diagnosis to his passing, and four of those weeks were lost as his son lay there nearly unresponsive.
 
Hospitals are incredible places where patients receive top notch care. They need guidance and legal protections to provide terminally ill patients with options to manage pain, while providing settings that support family and friends who are saying goodbye to a loved one.
 
Ryan’s law would allow terminally ill patients to use non-smoking forms of medical marijuana in Pennsylvania hospitals. Right now, the use of medical marijuana in hospitals is a gray area due to marijuana being a Scheduled I Narcotic, while also being legal for medicinal purposes in Pennsylvania.
 
Ryan’s law has been passed in CA and MD. It is under consideration in 36 other states.
 
The University of California Los Angeles conducted a clinical study on Ryan’s Law and published the study in the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. The study found that Ryan’s Law was a success for patients, hospitals, and nurses. Terminally ill patients received the pain management they needed, hospitals established good rules for medical cannabis use, and nurses felt comfortable implementing patient self-administration of medical cannabis.
 
Attached for your review is the language of the bill.
 
Please join me in cosponsoring this important bill that gives terminally ill patients a better way to receive compassionate care and to support the patient, their families and friends during extremely difficult times.