Homeless in Arizona

I suspect this law is unconstitutional.

To modify voter initiatives like Prop 203, elected official need to pass them with a super majority which I think is either 2/3 or 3/4ths.

This article doesn't say if the law was passed with that super majority.

Documentation rules for medical marijuana tightened

April 11, 2015 6:54 pm • Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services

Medical marijuana law modified

Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation Friday that could make it a bit more difficult for some patients to get a recommendation for medical marijuana.

The law requires doctors who write most of the recommendations to document how they know the patient and their medical needs.

A 2010 voter-approved Arizona law allows anyone with certain medical conditions to get a doctor’s certification to obtain up to 2 1/2 ounces of marijuana every two weeks.

At last count nearly 66,000 Arizonans had state-issued cards allowing them to make purchases from state-licensed marijuana dispensaries.

Sen. Kimberly Yee, R-Phoenix, said it turns out the vast majority of the recommendations come from naturopathic physicians.

A report last year found all but four of the top 24 recommending doctors were naturopaths. And one naturopath alone last year did almost 3,000 certifications.

State law prohibits the health department, which keeps the records and issues the ID cards to patients, from identifying doctors by name.

Yee said the numbers suggest the requirement that there be a “bona fide physician-patient relationship” was being ignored.

But the 2010 law never defined exactly what that is — and exactly what would prove that the doctor wasn’t just writing recommendations for anyone who comes in the door.

The new law says any naturopath writing a recommendation for medical marijuana must identify what medical records he or she is relying on to support or confirm a diagnosis a patient has a condition for which marijuana can be recommended.

It also requires the doctor to check with a statewide database that lists any controlled substances the patient may be taking. Yee said that will ensure that the marijuana does not conflict with any other medications.

The measure takes effect July 3.

New health spending tax deductions OK’d

Beginning next year, patients will be able to get credit toward their annual deductibles for money they spend anywhere to get medical care.

Many insurance policies have deductibles, requiring that patients spend a certain amount before coverage kicks in. But that applies only if they get their care from doctors within the insurance company’s network.

The new law signed Friday by Gov. Doug Ducey says money spent by patients at out-of-network doctors on any condition for which they are covered also counts toward their in-network deductible. But that credited amount will be only for what the insurer normally would pay for the service.

At the behest of insurance companies, lawmakers agreed to delay the effective date of the law until the end of this year.