Pennsylvania Will Become 24th State to Legalize Medical Marijuana

After approving revisions from both the House and the Senate, Pennsylvania's medical marijuana bill was passed this week and is on it's way to Governor Tom Wolf's desk, where he said he is "proud and excited to sign this bill". Once signed, the bill would allow patients with any of the 17 qualyfing conditions to purchase medical quality cannabis concentrates from any of the 50 dispensaries licensed in the state. Pennsylvania's medical marijuana program will not allow smokable forms of cannabis, but instead will sell pills, oils, and tinctures. None of the medical cannabis will be taxed, and there is currently no provision in the bill about growing marijuana at home, leaving it a criminal offense. 

The conditions for which physicians would be allowed to provide recommendations include cancer, HIV/AIDS, ALS, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, neuropathies, Huntington's disease, Crohn's disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, intractable seizures, glaucoma, sickle cell anemia, autism, neuropathic pain, and severe chronic or intractable pain in which conventional therapies, including prescription opiates, are ineffective.