Lyme Disease in Rhode Island

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1. We would love to have your support for a bill we are about to share at our press conference this Wednesday, March 4th located in the House Lounge from 3-4 at the State House. We would love to both have your support and also your presence at this event.

   A group of patients and advocates for the program have been working for months to find ways to improve the law. We now have a report outlining the problems and solutions as well as a bill sponsored in the House by Rep. Slater, H7621 and in the Senate S2544 with Josh Miller.

   I have attached a summary of the bill for you to review and we are happy to answer any questions you might have.

   Thank you for your consideration,

   Sincerely,
   Ellen Lenox Smith
   a copy of the summary of what is included in the bill:
   Summary of the 2020 Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Reform Act
   (currently, the bill is in draft form)

   Directs the Dept. of Health to establish rules to create a hardship designation for patients who receive SSI, SSDI, or Medicaid or who apply in writing for hardship designation for other reasons.

   Tasks the Dept. of Business Regulation with creating regulations for Compassion Centers to establish a discount medicine program for patients with a hardship designation. Patients with a hardship designation would receive at least a 30% discount on the total cost of products from Compassion Centers (before taxes are applied).

   Eliminates the plant tagging system for patients and caregivers who cultivate their own medicine.

   Removes numerical limit on the number of licenses for Compassion Center and instead requires the Dept. of Business Regulation to accept applications on a rolling basis and issue licenses until there is at least one Compassion Center for every 1,000 registered patients.

   Changes the definition of a debilitating medical condition to “any serious health condition a practitioner believes, based on their experience, knowledge, and reasonable judgment as a health care provider, could be treated or alleviated with the use of medical marijuana.”

   Prohibits state agencies and employees of the Rhode Island government from discriminating against patients solely for their use of medical marijuana or status as a patient and requires all official rules, regulations, and policies issued by state agencies to make reasonable accommodations for patients’ medical marijuana use.

   Reverts the annual Compassion Center license fee to the original amount of $5,000.

   Eliminates the 4% Compassion Center surcharge applied to medical marijuana sales.

   Imposes October 1, 2020 as date after which all products sold by Compassion Centers must be tested by third-party laboratories.

   Removes ownership and employment discrimination against people with prior drug offenses on their records.

   Permits patients who cultivate their own medicine to securely store up to 16 ounces of useable marijuana in their residence.

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