Hawaii Senate Committee Approves Law Legalizing Weed For All Seniors

By Nicolas Jose Rodriguez

A Senate committee in Hawaii passed legislation allowing people age 65 and older to automatically qualify for medical marijuana regardless of their condition, Marijuana Moment reported.

Bill SB2718 would amend the state’s existing medical marijuana law. Currently, only individuals with a debilitating medical condition can qualify for the program. The new bill would extend the scope of the current law to all seniors aged 65 and over.

Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels

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The proposed law recognizes that medical cannabis has been shown to positively help with common health problems such as “insomnia, anxiety and stress” and “result in a better quality of life.” According to lawmakers behind the bill, these problems “have been exacerbated by the pandemic, economic instability and rising uncertainty.”

The bill passed unanimously by the Senate Health Committee after the same committee approved a bill to create a working group to study the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin mushrooms.

February brought good news for seniors who enjoy cannabis in the US, as well as those who have not yet tried it.

RELATED: Physicians are no longer needed for seniors to get medical marijuana in DC

On Tuesday, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser signed legislation that will expand access to the district’s medical marijuana program to people 65 and older. The bill stipulates that applicants should be able to “self-certify that they will use cannabis for medicinal purposes, rather than attaching a recommendation from their doctor,” the administration said.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.