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Summary of Medical Marijuana Act – Act of April 17, 2016, P.L. 84, No 16
Medical Marijuana Program is under the direction of the PA Department of Health.
Forms of Approved Medical Marijuana in PA – Section 303 (b)(2) - Medical marijuana may only be
dispensed to a patient or caregiver in the following forms:
(i) pill;
(ii) oil;
(iii) topical forms, including gels, creams or ointments;
(iv) a form medically appropriate for administration by vaporization or nebulization, excluding dry
leaf or plant form until dry leaf or plant forms become acceptable under regulations adopted under
section 1202;
(v) tincture; or
(vi) liquid.
Unless otherwise provided in regulations adopted by the department under section 1202, medical
marijuana may not be dispensed to a patient or a caregiver in dry leaf or plant form.
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THC Content in Medical Marijuana under PA law - The law does allow for the medical marijuana to
include THC. Many are of the understanding that the medical marijuana has the TCH extracted/not
included – this is false. Two parts of the law address the issue of THC content:
Section 303 (b)(8) – products packaged by a grower/processor or sold by a dispensary shall only be
identified by the name of the grower/processor, the name of the dispensary, the form and species of
medical marijuana, the percentage of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabinol contained in the product
and any other labeling required by the department.
Section 801 (i)(5) - The amount of individual doses contained within the package and the species and
percentage of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol.
Serious Medical Conditions - Section 103 - Medical marijuana may be dispensed to a patient or
caregiver for the following conditions deemed to be "Serious medical conditions":
(1) Cancer.
(2) Positive status for human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
(3) Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
(4) Parkinson's disease.
(5) Multiple sclerosis.
(6) Damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of
intractable spasticity.
(7) Epilepsy.
(8) Inflammatory bowel disease.
(9) Neuropathies.
(10) Huntington's disease.
(11) Crohn's disease.
(12) Post-traumatic stress disorder.
(13) Intractable seizures.
(14) Glaucoma.
(15) Sickle cell anemia.
(16) Severe chronic or intractable pain of neuropathic origin or severe chronic or intractable pain
in which conventional therapeutic intervention and opiate therapy is contraindicated or ineffective.
(17) Autism.
"Terminally ill." A medical prognosis of life expectancy of approximately one year or less if the
illness runs its normal course.
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Permits/Dispensaries – Section 603 (8)(d) – Three regions will be established in PA for the purpose of
granting permits to growers/processors and dispensaries. The law directs that the department shall
approve permits in a manner which will provide “an adequate amount of medical marijuana to patients
and caregivers in all areas of this Commonwealth. The department shall consider the following when
issuing a permit:
Regional population
The number of patients suffering from serious medical conditions
The types of serious medical conditions
Access to public transportation
Any other factor the department deems relevant”
Notice of the boundaries will be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
Section 616. Limitations on permits
“The following limitations apply to approval of permits for grower/processors and dispensaries:
(1) The department may not initially issue permits to more than 25 grower/processors.
(2) The department may not initially issue permits to more than 50 dispensaries. Each dispensary may
provide medical marijuana at no more than three separate locations.” – up to 150 dispensaries
A dispensary may not be located within “1,000 feet of the property line of a public, private or parochial
school or day-care center.”
Tax on Medical Marijuana - Section 902(c) – After any repayment made under subsection (d), money in
the fund is appropriated with – “(2) To the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs for drug abuse
prevention and counseling and treatment services, 10% of the revenue in the fund.”
And
“(4) To the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency for distribution to local police
departments which demonstrate a need relating to the enforcement of this act, 5% of the revenue in
the fund.”
Enforcement - PA Dept of Health can enforce penalties of up to $10,000 per violation and/or can refer
to law enforcement.
To review the full Medical Marijuana Act, Act of Apr. 17, 2016, P.L. 84, No. 16 (http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/li/uconsCheck.cfm?yr=2016&sessInd=0&act=16).