HB 486 Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Medical care facilities; expanded access to medical cannabis for terminally ill patients.

Summary

Medical care facilities; expanded access to medical cannabis for terminally ill patients. Requires medical care facilities to permit terminally ill patients, as defined in the bill, to use medical cannabis. The bill requires medical care facilities to adopt policies facilitating the use of medical cannabis. The provisions of the bill do not apply to the provision of emergency medical services, including in emergency departments of hospitals. The bill requires compliance with applicable drug and medication requirements, specifies that compliance with its provisions shall not be a condition of obtaining, retaining, or renewing a license as a medical care facility, and establishes a protocol for noncompliance in the event of intervention by the federal government. The bill has a delayed effective date contingent on the federal rescheduling of marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug. This bill was incorporated into HB 75.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 12, 2026 Last action Feb 12, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Health and Human Services Substitute · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended from its original introduction to a committee substitute version, significantly expanding eligibility criteria and clarifying facility obligations. The original version focused on terminally ill patients with a one-year prognosis, while the substitute version adds age and residency requirements along with stricter certification procedures. The substitute also modifies language around facility licensing consequences and clarifies the effective date terminology.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a general medical cannabis access provision to include specific eligibility requirements for patients and more detailed operational policies for medical care facilities.

ELIGIBILITY

Patient eligibility now requires being 18 years or older, a Virginia resident, diagnosed with a terminal disease, and having that diagnosis confirmed by a consulting healthcare provider after an in-person examination and review of medical records.

DEFINITION

The term 'Patient' was changed to 'eligible patient' with more specific criteria, and 'terminal illness' was replaced with 'terminal disease' in the definition.

REQUIREMENT

Medical care facilities must now establish written policies addressing circumstances under which eligible patients can use medical cannabis during inpatient stays, rather than just general guidelines.

ENFORCEMENT

Language regarding license consequences was modified to clarify that refusal to permit medical cannabis use shall not constitute grounds for denying, revoking, or suspending a medical care facility license.

TIMELINE

The effective date language was changed from 'marijuana' to 'cannabis' for consistency with federal rescheduling terminology.

TECHNICAL

Added page numbering and formatting consistent with legislative substitute documents, including committee attribution and patron identification.

Floor votes

How they voted

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee recommends incorporating (Voice Vote)

lower

Feb 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

House subcommittee offered

lower

Jan 21, 2026

Committee

Assigned sub: Health

lower

Jan 12, 2026

Committee

Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services

lower

1 primary · 3 co-sponsors