In a 194-8 vote on March 17, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has approved a bill that would greatly empower the State Department of Health to regulate medical cannabis prescribers. The State Senate Law and Justice Committee will consider the bill next.
Should the bill pass the Senate, the department would have authority to place specific prescribers on probation, limit the number of medical cannabis certifications prescribers are allowed to issue, require prescribers to be supervised by another physician, and enact reporting requirements. Further, the department could create any other condition it “determines is necessary to protect the health and safety of patients in the program.”
Representative Tim Twardzik (R., Schuylkill) proposed including the additional Department of Health authority in regulation of medical cannabis as an amendment to a cannabis lab testing bill. The House Health Committee unanimously approved the proposal.
State senators on both sides of the aisle have expressed interest in the bill. State Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R., Indiana) said “it is clear Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program was not implemented well and could benefit from potential changes to make the program more airtight, efficient, and productive.” Similarly, State Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D., Allegheny) explained that he supports oversight in the Commonwealth’s medical cannabis program, saying such measures “protect our medical cannabis patients from bad actors, dishonest laboratory practices, and dangerous contaminants.”
Still, lawmakers remain focused on bringing recreational cannabis to Pennsylvania. Senator Costa made that clear, stating “our ultimate goal is the creation of an adult-use recreational cannabis program.” State Senator Dan Laughlin (R., Erie) likewise supports adult-use legalization, commenting “legislation involving cannabis deserves thorough review and I remain committed to using my position as Chairman to achieve this goal.” And Governor Josh Shapiro has urged the legislature to include recreational cannabis in its budget, due by the end of June.
Stakeholders in the cannabis industry in Pennsylvania should pay particular attention to these simultaneous legislative goals, as regulation of the medical cannabis program and the introduction of a recreational cannabis program would both have profound effects on the industry’s landscape in the Commonwealth. We will continue to provide updates on the legislature’s movement with respect to both medical and recreational cannabis.