Medical Marijuana for PTSD (H 7142, S 2115)

The General Assembly approved important legislation allowing individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to ease their symptoms using medical marijuana. In February and April, the ACLU testified bfore the Senate Health and Human Services and House Judiciary committees, respectively, in support of this legislation. The ACLU noted that many individuals suffering from PTSD - including returned veterans - have reported significant relief from marijuana use, but that Rhode Island law previously prohibited them from legally obtaining the medication. In 2015, similar bills were approved by both the House and Senate, but were not approved by the opposite chamber before the session's end. This year, the General Assembly cleared all the necessary procedural hurdles to allow the proposal to become law.