Rhode Island Representative Susan R. Donovan has made compassionate access for terminally ill medical cannabis patients a policy priority. Her 2026 legislation, H 7535, the Compassionate Access to Medical Cannabis Act, would allow qualifying terminally ill patients to continue using medical cannabis in certain healthcare facilities rather than losing access when they enter institutional care.
The legislation pairs patient access with clear safety protections. Facilities would document medical cannabis use in the patient’s medical record, verify eligibility, prohibit smoking and vaping, require secure storage, and establish written policies for its use.
For Donovan, compassionate care includes respecting the treatment choices terminally ill patients have already made. Her proposal gives hospitals and other healthcare facilities a practical framework for continuing medical cannabis access while maintaining appropriate safeguards for patients, staff, and visitors.
“I submitted legislation, Compassionate Access to Cannabis, to allow cannabis in hospice hospitals and centers for the terminally ill to control pain instead of powerful drugs that leave patients unconscious.”
Donovan’s advocacy brings attention to a point in care where medical cannabis patients can become especially vulnerable: when the need for hospital, hospice, or long-term care places control over their medicine in someone else’s hands.
The Public Courage Award recognizes elected officials who bring medical cannabis patient safety and access concerns into the policymaking process. Donovan has put forward a compassionate solution designed to preserve patient choice, dignity, and access to medical cannabis during some of the most difficult moments in a patient’s life.
Learn more about Rep. Susan R. Donovan:
Campaign website: Susan-Donovan.com
H 7535, Compassionate Access to Medical Cannabis Act: Rhode Island General Assembly
Related resource: U.S. Pain Foundation
Cast your vote for Rep. Susan R. Donovan for the 2026 Public Courage Award.
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