California Code
CHAPTER 4.9 - Compassionate Access to Medical Cannabis Act or Ryan s Law
Section 1649.1.

1649.1. Unless the context requires otherwise, the following definitions shall apply to this chapter:

(a) “Compassionate Use Act of 1996” means the initiative measure enacted by the approval of Proposition 215 at the November 5, 1996, statewide general election and found at Section 11362.5, and any amendments to that act.

(b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), “health care facility” means a health facility specified in subdivision (a), (c), (f), (i), or (n) of Section 1250.

(2) The meaning of “health care facility” shall not include any of the following:

(A) A chemical dependency recovery hospital.

(B) A state hospital.

(C) An emergency department of a health care facility, as specified in subdivision (a) of Section 1250, while the patient is receiving emergency services and care.

(c) “Medicinal cannabis” means cannabis or a cannabis product used in compliance with the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 and Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 11362.7) of Chapter 6 of Division 10.

(d) “Patient” means an individual who is terminally ill. “Patient” does not include an individual receiving emergency services and care, as defined in Section 1317.1.

(e) “Terminally ill” means a medical condition resulting in a prognosis of life of one year or less, if the disease follows its natural course.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 242, Sec. 1. (SB 988) Effective January 1, 2023.)