Doctors would have wider discretion to prescribe marijuana to patients under a proposal before the General Assembly.

Medical marijuana cards are only issued now when a doctor certifies that a patient has a specific "debilitating medical condition," caused by one of a list of illnesses.

That list includes chronic conditions like cancer, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and HIV. It also covers some side effects, like pain and nausea, that come with treating other illnesses.

The legislation offered by state Sen. Anthony Delcollo, R-Elsmere, removes reliance on that list and states doctors can certify a patient for medical marijuana use for "any other medical condition or treatment" for which marijuana "is likely to provide a therapeutic or palliative benefit."

Delcollo said it is unfair that treatment with marijuana has a higher bar than treatment with more dangerous drugs.

"The goal is to allow the physician to exercise their judgment as a physician," Delcollo said.

In Delaware, doctors must certify a patient has a condition that qualifies for marijuana treatment. The state has the final authority to issue the patient a card to use to purchase marijuana at a state-approved dispensary.

Dr. Andrew Dahlke, Medical Society of Delaware president, said his organization will discuss the bill in detail Monday. On its face, he said, it looks like an improvement.

He said it is most important to balance the potential harm of a policy change — in this case more people smoking marijuana — with the benefit. He said the bill could help some who are suffering.

"If someone can smoke some joints and have less back pain so they are not taking Oxycontin, I think that's probably a good thing," Dahlke said. "That's probably an acceptable trade-off."

Delcollo said physicians' professional responsibilities and the potential of sanctions against their license will prevent the creation of a cottage industry around enabling the use of medical marijuana for fun.

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Wider discretion for doctors could be a large step in a gradual expansion of Delaware's medical marijuana effort. The General Assembly passed the Delaware Medical Marijuana Act in 2011, but then-Gov. Jack Markell delayed its implementation.

The state's first dispensing site opened in 2015. Lawmakers have expanded the list of qualifying conditions since.

The state's fourth medical marijuana dispensary opened in Newark late last month, joining facilities in Lewes, Smyrna and near Elsmere.

As of Feb. 5, there are 7,104 medical marijuana cardholders in the state, health officials said.

Delaware legislators have rejected attempts to legalize recreational marijuana in recent years. As of early March, no new bill has been filed.

Delcollo's bill also removes a requirement that only certain specialists can certify patients younger than 18 years old for medical marijuana treatment.

The bill has not been scheduled for a committee hearing. It is being co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of legislators.

Contact Xerxes Wilson at (302) 324-2787 or xwilson@delawareonline.com. Follow @Ber_Xerxes on Twitter.