Bill > A5986

Introduced Session

This bill permits patients to be authorized for medical cannabis through telemedicine and telehealth and under certain circumstances. Under the bill, for 270 days following the date of the bill's enactment, a health care practitioner may authorize a patient who is a child, resident of a long-term care facility, developmentally disabled, terminally ill, receiving hospice care, or housebound as certified by the patient's physician, for the medical use of cannabis using telemedicine and telehealth. Thereafter, a health care practitioner may authorize any patient for the medical use of cannabis using telemedicine and telehealth, provided that, except in the case of a patient who is a child, developmentally disabled, terminally ill, receiving hospice care, or housebound, the patient has had at least one previous in-office visit with the health care practitioner prior to the patient's authorization for the medical use of cannabis. The bill additionally allows written instructions for medical cannabis to be provided to or on behalf of a patient using telemedicine and telehealth. Under current statutes, "telehealth" means the use of information and communications technologies, including telephones, remote patient monitoring devices, or other electronic means, to support clinical health care, provider consultation, patient and professional health-related education, public health, health administration, and other services in accordance with the provisions of P.L.2017, c.117 (C.45:1-61 et al.). "Telemedicine" means the delivery of a health care service using electronic communications, information technology, or other electronic or technological means to bridge the gap between a health care provider who is located at a distant site and a patient who is located at an originating site, either with or without the assistance of an intervening health care provider, and in accordance with the provisions of P.L.2017, c.117 (C.45:1-61 et al.). "Telemedicine" does not include the use, in isolation, of audio-only telephone conversation, electronic mail, instant messaging, phone text, or facsimile transmission.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

JoAnn Downey (D)*,  Pam Lampitt (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee (on 11/25/2019)

Official Document