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Supporters urge passage of "Ryan's Law" to allow medical cannabis in hospice and inpatient settings
Summary
Supporters, including family members, nonprofit advocates, and clinicians, told the committee HB 4142 (Ryan's Law) would preserve patient dignity at end of life by allowing registered medical cannabis use in certain care settings with provider policies and education requirements; proponents cited California's multi-year experience.
House Bill 4142, introduced by Representative Farrah Chayche, would expand definitions and require certain health-care facilities to adopt policies allowing medical cannabis use by registered OMMP patients in hospice and some residential care settings.
Proponents framed the bill as a quality-of-life measure for terminal patients. Jim Bartel, whose son's experience inspired "Ryan's Law," described transferring his son to a facility that allowed medical cannabis so the patient could be more alert and interact with family in his final weeks. Pharmacists and legal experts who helped implement the California law testified that Ryan's Law has operated without notable legal challenges and that structured policies, pharmacist oversight and education can provide safe frameworks for in-hospital cannabis use.
Witnesses emphasized safeguards in the Oregon proposal: the bill requires written facility policies, training for specific direct-care staff, and does not require facilities to adopt policies beyond the scope of registered OMMP patients. Proponents said they worked with OHA to eliminate prior fiscal impacts and to narrow training scope so only designated caregivers must complete cannabis education.
The committee accepted testimony and closed the hearing on HB 4142 with proponents urging a favorable committee outcome; no committee vote was recorded on Feb. 10.
