Weeding through the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Act

Medical Marijuana in Pennsylvania Governor Wolf legalized medical marijuana in Pennsylvania on April 6, 2016, and on February 15, 2018 medical marijuana became available for patients at dispensaries across the Commonwealth — providing medical relief to patients with serious medical conditions.

How to Get Medical Marijuana Getting medical marijuana through Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program involves four basic steps: Register for the program through the Medical Marijuana Registry . Have a physician certify that you suffer from one of the medical conditions that qualify for medical marijuana. Pay for a medical marijuana ID card. Get medical marijuana from an approved dispensary in Pennsylvania.

Get Registered The first step in getting medical marijuana in Pennsylvania is getting registered. To register for the medical marijuana program, you must create a profile in the Medical Marijuana Registry. This profile includes basic information such as your legal name, current address, and contact information. To register for the medical marijuana program, you must also have a Pennsylvania driver’s license or an ID card issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Get Certified by a Physician Once you have registered in the Medical Marijuana Registry, the next step is to have an approved physician certify that you suffer from a qualifying medical condition. Approved physicians also have access to the Medical Marijuana Registry and will submit their certifications directly to the system. Approved Physicians are physicians who recommend medical marijuana in Pennsylvania and are required to register with the Department of Health. If your current physician is not registered with the Department of Health, you can find an approved physician from a list.

Qualifying Medical Conditions Only patients suffering from one of the following medical conditions may currently participate in Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Autism. Cancer, including remission therapy. Crohn’s disease. Damage to the nervous tissue of the central nervous system (brain-spinal cord) with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity, and other associated neuropathies. Dyskinetic and spastic movement disorders. Epilepsy. Glaucoma

HIV / AIDS. Huntington’s disease. Inflammatory bowel disease. Intractable seizures. Multiple sclerosis. Neurodegenerative diseases. Neuropathies. Opioid use disorder for which conventional therapeutic interventions are contraindicated or ineffective, or for which adjunctive therapy is indicated in combination with primary therapeutic interventions. Parkinson’s disease. Post-traumatic stress disorder.

Severe chronic or intractable pain of neuropathic origin or severe chronic or intractable pain. Sickle cell anemia. Terminal illness.

Pay for an ID Card Once you have been certified by an approved physician, the next step is to return to the Medical Marijuana Registry and complete your application for a medical marijuana ID card. The cost of a medical marijuana ID card is $50. Patients who participate in assistance programs including Medicaid, PACE/PACENET, CHIP, SNAP, and WIC may be eligible for fee reductions.  

Forms of Consumptions 1) Pills: Also known as capsules. Pills contain oil and are swallowed and digested. 2) Extracts: Concentrated forms of marijuana that are inhaled or vaporized. Types of extracts are: shatter, wax, oil, budder, and resin are common forms of extracts available in a vape cartridge or by itself.

Shatter: Smooth, solid and transparent extracts that are typically higher in THC. Wax: Opaque, soft extracts that are typically lower in THC. Oil: Sticky, liquid extracts that have varying THC levels. Budder: Creamy, butter-like extracts that are typically higher in THC. Resin: Dark, gooey extracts that are typically higher in THC.

3) Liquids/Tinctures: Typically consumed by placing a syringe under the tongue. Tinctures are a form of liquid also available in sprays. 4) Topicals: Used to treat localized pain. Topicals are non-psychoactive and come in gels, creams, and ointments that are applied to the skin.   5) Patches: Applied to the veinous area of the body allowing cannabinoids to enter the bloodstream. 6) Flower: This is the dry leaf which is consumed through vaporization. Not available at this time.