The Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program began over 2 years ago when it was signed into law on April 17, 2016. Since then, over 750 physicians registered for the program have recommended medical marijuana as a treatment option to more than 40,000 patients. These patients have qualified for the program by having one of 21 conditions, which include diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's, along with the most reported condition of chronic pain. The latest expansion to the program allows for opiate substitute therapy, making Pennsylvania the second state in the country to recommend medical marijuana as a viable therapeutic treatment option for those using their prescribed opioids.

Physicians interested in medical marijuana should complete the required 4-hour training provided by a Department of Health approved training entity in order to obtain the proper certification to recommend. The latest changes to the program allow physicians to not appear on the public-facing list of approved practitioners, and only be available to patients once they register with the program.

Those who are considering recommending medical marijuana can rest assured that they can continue to operate in their areas of specialty, while being able to offer this additional treatment as an option to their patients.

For more information and next steps, head over to our Physician Registration page or the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s website.