x
Breaking News
More () »

State finalizes temporary regulations for doctors to participate in medical marijuana program

The Pennsylvania department of health announced that regulations for doctors to participate in the medical marijuana program will be published Saturday. Pennsyl...
Hearing on Medical Marijuana Bill

The Pennsylvania department of health announced that regulations for doctors to participate in the medical marijuana program will be published Saturday.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Karen Murphy said in a press release the guidelines will appear in the June 3 edition of the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

“We received valuable input from physicians on implementation of this vital step in the program,” Murphy said in the release. “These regulations provide physicians with the information they need on how to participate in the program, how to become registered as a practitioner within the program, and how they will be able to issue patient certifications. Physicians are a vital part of making sure that this medication gets to the patients who need it.”

The Practitioner Temporary Regulations outline the process for doctors to register as a practitioner in the Medical Marijuana Program. After registering, physicians can certify that their patient has a serious medical condition and can offer recommendations on a course of treatment for the patient that includes obtaining medical marijuana at a Pennsylvania permitted dispensary.

Since being signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf on April 17, 2016, the Medical Marijuana Program has:

  • Completed the Safe Harbor temporary guidelines and Safe Harbor Letter application process, and approved 257 applications
  • Completed temporary regulations for growers/processors, dispensaries and laboratories
  • Released Phase One permit applications for grower/processors and dispensaries
  • Developed the Medical Marijuana Physician Workgroup
  • Drafted temporary regulations for practitioners to participate in the program
  • Selected MJ Freeway to implement the program’s seed-to-sale tracking system.

The Medical Marijuana Program became effective on May 17, 2016, and is expected to be fully implemented in early 2018. The program will offer medical marijuana to patients who are residents of Pennsylvania and under a physician’s care for the treatment of a serious medical condition as defined by Act 16.

SOURCE: Pennsylvania Department of Health

Before You Leave, Check This Out