Colorado COVID-19 Executive Orders for Cannabis Expire

Executive ordinances that eased cannabis regulations in Colorado during the COVID-19 pandemic expired last week after failed previous efforts by state lawmakers to make them permanent. Democratic Governor Jared Polis’ executive order expired on June 10, ending the temporary authority for doctors to make medical marijuana referrals to patients through telemedicine appointments and for cannabis dispensaries to take online payments for customer orders.

Polis issued the executive order on March 20, 2020 amid a home stay order and business closures in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The contract was extended several times to 2020 and most recently to May 12th, 2021, but ran on June 10th. at 11:59 p.m.

Colorado state law prohibits marijuana companies from accepting debit or credit card payments for cannabis orders placed online or over the phone, although medical marijuana patients are allowed to pay for orders online. And while state law allows doctors to schedule appointments with patients for a variety of health issues through telemedicine, consultations for medical marijuana referrals are prohibited.

The executive order that allows online payments should support efforts to maintain social distancing protocols and contactless transactions during the pandemic. Telemedicine approval was granted to protect high-risk patients from unnecessary trips to a health facility.

Legislators refused to make pandemic changes permanent

Last month, Colorado state lawmakers rejected a bill that would have made telemedicine appointments for medical marijuana and payments to online pharmacies permanently legal. MP Matt Gray introduced the House Bill 1058 measure in February.

At a meeting of the House Finance Committee last month, Gray noted that the two practices had already been introduced without any significant problems.

“This has been law for a long time,” Gray told his colleagues on the committee before they voted on the bill on May 20. “We didn’t see the sky fall.”

However, the bill got entangled in other aspects of cannabis policy that have also been scrutinized by lawmakers, including efforts to limit the effectiveness of marijuana products.

“This bill has gotten into a wave of further controversy related to things that are not in this bill,” Gray told the committee.

Some members expressed concern that around 4,000 medical marijuana patients are between 18 and 20 years old, while around 150 patients are between 11 and 17 years old. While no data was presented to support the claim, some lawmakers feared that the number of young patients could lead to the distribution of medical cannabis to children who are not authorized to use medical marijuana.

“I think there are unfortunately a lot of bad actors in the marijuana world,” said MP Cathy Kipp before voting against the measure, despite recognizing the value of telemedicine and saying she would support the measure if it came to a vote would come on the floor of the house. “The abuses that currently exist in the system are just too big.”

The House Finance Committee voted 7-4 to postpone House Bill 1058 indefinitely. Failure to approve the measure resulted in the end of online payments for recreational cannabis and telemedicine appointments for medical marijuana with the Polis enactments expiring last week. Doctor Peter Pryor said medical marijuana consultations can be successfully conducted through telemedicine.

“In Colorado, medical marijuana can only be recommended by health care providers for pain, HIV, cancer, seizures, glaucoma, nausea, muscle spasms, autism, or PTSD. Neither of these conditions requires visual cues, ”said Pryor.

Although the expiration of the Polis Executive Order marks the end of online pharmacy payments and telemedicine consultations for medical marijuana, other Colorado practices introduced due to the pandemic remain in effect. Features such as walk-through and drive-through windows that were installed without legal approval may be retained.