Regan and Brewster have not introduced their legislation yet, and Brewster said there are a number of issues that are still up for discussion. The annual cost is $50, although the department says it has eliminated the fee for people in certain financial hardship programs, such as Medicaid. Their proposal would also eliminate the need to renew medical marijuana cards - which are issued by the state. Mike Regan (R., York) and James Brewster (D., Allegheny) states “elected officials and bureaucratic staffers should not be deciding what ailment qualifies an individual to use medical marijuana.” Their proposal would allow any doctor who is authorized to prescribe controlled substances to decide whether a patient can use cannabis. And patients can only qualify for a card if they have one of 23 approved conditions. Doctors must register with the state and complete a four-hour training course in order to approve patients.

Two state senators - a Republican and Democrat - are pushing for major changes that would broaden who is eligible for a medical marijuana card.Ĭurrently, the law limits which patients and doctors can participate. Here are the five marijuana proposals to watch this legislative session.

HARRISBURG - As the legislative session picks up, Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering a host of changes to the state’s cannabis laws that would expand who is eligible for a medical marijuana card and increase protections against DUI charges for patients, among other proposals.Īnd the new Democratic majority in the state House is bringing fresh hope to advocates who want to see Pennsylvania join dozens of other states where possessing a small amount of cannabis is legal or decriminalized.Īmending marijuana laws could open up debate over a host of other issues - several of which were highlighted in a series of investigative stories from Spotlight PA that uncovered serious flaws in the medical program, including questionable health claims, weak oversight, and unfair rules. Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media.

When did pa legalize online