Pennsylvania could allow terminally ill people to use cannabis in hospitals

A group Bipartisan group of Pennsylvania senators introduced a new bill that aims to authorize the use of medical cannabis in hospitals for terminally ill patients.

A compassionate model: the «Ryan Act» comes to Pennsylvania

The bill is titled Ryan Bartell, a cancer patient whose experience inspired the original California law. During his treatment, Ryan was prescribe opioid pain relievers who kept him sedated and cut him off from his family and friends. In search of an alternative, he was transferred to a hospital in the’Washington State, where he was permitted to use medical cannabis. This helped him remain alert and present during his final days.

«Hospitals are incredible places where patients receive first-rate care,» wrote Senator Kane, who introduced the bill in Pennsylvania, in a co-sponsorship note. «They need guidance and legal protections to offer terminally ill patients options for managing pain, while providing a framework that supports family and friends as they say goodbye to a loved one.»

Taking inspiration from the Californian approach, the Pennsylvania bill aims to ensure that end-of-life care can include non-smokable forms of cannabis, such as oils, dyes, and capsules or edible products, without conflicting with hospital regulations or federal law.

Closing the legal loophole in Pennsylvania’s medical cannabis regulatory framework

Although the medical marijuana has been legal in Pennsylvania since 2016, its use in hospitals remains a legal grey area. Federal law still classifies cannabis as a Category I substance, which creates uncertainty for healthcare facilities that wish to admit registered patients.

Kane's proposal directly addresses this issue. The four-page bill would amend the state's current medical cannabis law to allow terminally ill patients to use non-smokable forms of cannabis during their hospital stay. Hospitals should implement storage and handling procedures cannabis-based products for patients and create internal guidelines for supervised use.

The law also provides for legal protections for hospitals and staff. It specifies that healthcare facilities are not not required prescribe or provide medical cannabis to patients and that they may suspend the program if federal authorities take enforcement action.

However, the text also includes a key safeguard for patients: hospitals cannot prohibit the use of medical cannabis solely on the grounds that it remains illegal under federal law. A provision that helps protect patients' rights even in the face of regulatory uncertainty.

« »I urge you to join me in co-sponsoring this important bill, which provides terminally ill patients with a better way to receive compassionate care and supports patients, their families, and their friends during extremely difficult times,” Mr. Kane urged his colleagues, 17 of whom already support his bill.

A broader debate on cannabis policy

This proposal comes at a time when the Pennsylvania lawmakers continue to debate the next steps in the legalization of recreational use. While public opinion is increasingly in favor of reform, legislative progress has been slow. This bill could, however, serve as a a symbolic and practical step toward the normalization of cannabis use in controlled medical settings.

If it is passed, Pennsylvania will join California and a few other states that explicitly protect the’access to cannabis in hospitals for terminally ill patients, thereby reaffirming that compassion—not controversy—should guide the evolution of medical cannabis policy.