Delaware lawmakers eye expansion of medical marijuana use

DOVER, Del. (AP) — The state Senate is set to vote on a bill expanding the permissible uses for medical marijuana in Delaware.

The measure to be voted on Tuesday adds debilitating anxiety to the list of conditions and illnesses for which medical marijuana can be prescribed. The anxiety definition includes generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social anxiety.

The bill also removes the requirement for a psychiatrist to sign an application for someone seeking to use medical marijuana for post-traumatic stress disorder. Instead, any physician would be allowed to verify the application.

Medical marijuana already is allowed for the treatment of chronic or debilitating diseases or conditions including terminal illness, cancer, HIV and AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, intractable epilepsy and severe pain that has not responded to medication or surgery.