Harrisburg, Pa. – With each passing month and year, Pennsylvania inches one step closer to making recreational marijuana legal in the state.
It is well-known a majority of Pennsylvanian’s now support use of marijuana for recreational purposes in the commonwealth.
Governor Tom Wolf signed legislation that will provide important updates to Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Act to ensure better access for patients.
House Bill 1024 acts on recommendations made by the Department of Health to revise the Medical Marijuana Act, which was signed into law in 2016.
According to the governor’s office, the bill protects patient safety standards, and product quality, of Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program while empowering the Medical Marijuana Advisory Board to continue to consider new medical conditions for eligibility.
The administration also said the bill will also retain certain flexibilities enacted under the state’s COVID-19 disaster declaration that patients and dispensaries found convenient.
After Wolf signed the bill, medical marijuana can be bought in 90-day supplies, opposed to the previous 30 days. Continuing with pandemic tradition, curbside pickup will continue at dispensaries.
“Its been five years since Pennsylvania legalized medical marijuana, and in that time the Department of Health has examined the program’s successes and challenges and made important recommendations on improving the law,” said Wolf.
The Republican-controlled state legislature has been at odds over the Wolf administration’s position that marijuana should be fully legal to Pa. residents. New Jersey approved full legalization in Nov. 2020, and took effect in January.
“This legislation provides important updates to our state’s medical marijuana program to ensure that patients have improved access to medication,” the governor added.
