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Missouri officials released a draft detailing medical marijuana rules for state licensed physicians who will write certifications to allow patients access to medical marijuana, along with proposed rules for transportation facilities and how they handle medical marijuana.
Missouri's medical marijuana program ended in approval after a vote in November 2018. Voters chose Amendment 2 among three separate rival ballot initiatives.
The amendment sets out a structured timeline for making medical marijuana treatment safe and effective to improve the quality of life for patients and caregivers. Missouri officials must finish drafting the rules by June 4, 2019. Patients may begin the application process to obtain their medical marijuana ID cards on July 4th. Happy Independence Day.
What does Amendment 2 say about doctors?
Amendment 2 defines a physician as "an individual who is licensed and in good standing to practice medicine or osteopathy under Missouri law." That means MDs and DOs have the unique capability to recommend medical marijuana as a form of treatment. Other healthcare providers are unable to recommend medical marijuana at this time. The amendment also outlines the rights of patients and doctors to legally discuss medical marijuana as a form of treatment and for the doctors to write the certifications.
What does Amendment 2 say about doctor paperwork for a medical marijuana card?
The certification needed to get a medical marijuana card is defined as "a document, whether handwritten, electronic or in another commonly used format, signed by a physician and stating that, in the physician’s professional opinion, the patient suffers from a qualifying medical condition" allowing marijuana as a form of treatment.
Will every patient be allowed to get the maximum 4 ounces of marijuana per month authorized by Amendment 2?
Not Exactly. Physicians will determine the amount of medical marijuana they deem appropriate for the each individual patient.
What about certifications for kids under 18?
Patients who are minors are guaranteed access to medical marijuana if they have a physicians recommendation and the written consent of a parent or legal guardian.
What about the transportation facilities?
Every marijuana delivery would need to be made by two employees carrying state-issued facility agent ID cards.
Missouri wants to push companies to keep vehicles used to carry cannabis free of any markings that would indicate marijuana of any kind is aboard the vehicle.
The vehicles would need lockboxes, along with a lockbox to store payments and video monitoring equipment.
Video monitoring will be required for the vehicle's driver, passenger and medical marijuana areas, along with GPS tracking.
Transportation companies would have to log a trip plan for every marijuana delivery and keep those records for five years. The driver must have a copy of the trip plan within arms reach while traveling, along with an inventory document and "a means of communication" available at all times. Any traffic crash, loss or theft must be reported immediately.
The state would allow transportation licensees to store marijuana at their primary place of business along with off-site warehouses that comply with the strict security requirements.
Those requirements include security training that includes understanding HIPAA information and ways marijuana transport company employees should respond to issues like theft, unauthorized intrusions, fire or natural disaster.
Transportation facilities have to be sited at least 1,000 feet away from schools, day cares and churches, unless a local government chooses to make the buffer zone smaller.