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An Act To Allow Access for Law Enforcement Officers to the List of Registered Primary Caregivers for Medical Marijuana Patients
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §2425, sub-§8, ¶G, as amended by PL 2013, c. 516, §13, is further amended to read:
 
G. Records maintained by the department pursuant to this chapter that identify applicants for a registry identification card, registered patients, registered primary caregivers and registered patients' medical providers are confidential and may not be disclosed except as provided in this subsection and as follows:
 
(1) To department employees who are responsible for carrying out this chapter;
 
(2) Pursuant to court order or subpoena issued by a court;
 
(3) With written permission of the registered patient or the patient's guardian, if the patient is under guardianship, or a parent, if the patient has not attained 18 years of age;
 
(4) As permitted or required for the disclosure of health care information pursuant to section 1711-C;
 
(5) To a law enforcement official for verification purposes. The records may not be disclosed further than necessary to achieve the limited goals of a specific investigation, except that a list of the registered primary caregivers in a law enforcement official's jurisdiction may be disclosed to assist the law enforcement official in ruling out a caregiver when verifying reports of criminal activity; and
 
(6) To a registered patient's treating medical provider and to a registered patient's registered primary caregiver for the purpose of carrying out this chapter.
 
SUMMARY
This bill permits the disclosure of the Department of Health and Human Services list of registered caregivers for medical marijuana patients in a law enforcement official's jurisdiction to allow the law enforcement official to rule out a registered primary caregiver when verifying reports of criminal activity.