The Virginia Senate has overwhelmingly voted to pass the Joint Commission on Health Care bill SB 726.
In a vote of 40-0, the bill, which will allow doctors in Virginia to recommend the use of cannabidiol oil or THC-A oil for treatment of diagnosed conditions or diseases, came just days after its companion bill, the HB1251 was passed in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Senator Siobhan Dunnavant, the chief patron of the Senate bill, remarked, “I finally decided that I needed to advocate for the physicians being the decision makers,” said Senator Siobhan Dunnavant, the chief patron of the Senate bill. “We, physicians, are the ones that follow the literature and know which treatments are best for different conditions. The literature on medical cannabis is going to be evolving rapidly now, and because of this, it is not a decision that should be in the hands of the legislature. Instead, it should be with physicians.”
Conditions that include Cancer, Crohn’s dissease, as well as PTSD will now be able to be treated with CBD oil or THC-A oil.
“Honestly, until this week, I’ve always thought of it helping my patients that have breast cancer, especially the young ones that have children and have so many things to get done but feel so terrible as they go through chemotherapy,” said Senator Dunnavant, who is also a doctor.
“After this week, I won’t be able to forget Tamra Netzel, the patient and my constituent with multiple sclerosis that testified on behalf of this bill in committee. My niece also has MS and having the opportunity to help others in similar situations means a lot to me.”
