§329-126  Protections afforded to a treating physician or advanced practice registered nurse.  (a)  No physician or advanced practice registered nurse shall be subject to arrest or prosecution, penalized in any manner, or denied any right or privilege for providing written certification for the medical use of cannabis for a qualifying patient; provided that:

     (1)  The physician or advanced practice registered nurse has diagnosed the patient as having a debilitating medical condition, as defined in section 329-121;

     (2)  The physician or advanced practice registered nurse has explained the potential risks and benefits of the medical use of cannabis, as required under section 329-122;

     (3)  The written certification is based upon the physician's or advanced practice registered nurse's professional opinion after having completed a full assessment of the patient's medical history and current medical condition made in the course of a bona fide physician-patient relationship or bona fide advanced practice registered nurse-patient relationship, as applicable; and

     (4)  The physician or advanced practice registered nurse has complied with the registration requirements of section 329-123.

     (b)  For purposes of this section, a bona fide physician-patient relationship may be established via telehealth, as defined in section 453-1.3(j), and a bona fide advanced practice registered nurse-patient relationship may be established via telehealth, as defined in section 457-2; provided that treatment recommendations that include certifying a patient for the medical use of cannabis via telehealth shall be allowed only after an initial in-person consultation between the certifying physician or advanced practice registered nurse and the patient. [L 2000, c 228, pt of §2; am L 2016, c 230, §12; am L 2017, c 170, §2; am L 2018, c 116, §24]