Cannabis Education
WHAT FORMS OF MEDICAL CANNABIS ARE AVAILABLE IN PA?
Pills, oils, topical forms such as patches or lotions, salves and balms, forms to vaporize, tinctures, suppositories, and liquids.
COST?
At this time, insurance companies do not cover medical cannabis.
» Most patients who participate in the program are responsible for purchasing a $50 ID card.
» Individuals may qualify for a waiver fee if they participate in one of the following government programs, Medicaid, PACE/PACENET, CHIP, SNAP, or WIC.
» Costs may vary based on dispensary prices, FORM OF CANNABIS, and amount purchased.
WHERE CAN I FIND MORE INFORMATION?
Program-related resources including the latest updates, legislative news and FAQ documents are available on the Pennsylvania Department of Health website at www.medicalmarijuana.pa.gov.
In April 2016, Governor Tom Wolf signed the Medical Marijuana Act into law. The Pennsylvania Department of Health (Department) is implementing the state’s Medical Marijuana Program for patients who are under a physician’s care for the treatment of one of the 23 serious medical conditions listed in the law.
Pennsylvania residents who suffers from at least one of the following serious medical conditions, may qualify:
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis • Autism • Anxiety • Cancer • Crohn’s disease
• Damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity
•Dyskinetic Disorder * Epilepsy • Glaucoma • Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
• Huntington’s disease • Inflammatory bowel disease/ Ulcerative Colitis • Intractable seizures
• Multiple sclerosis
* Neurodegenerative Disorders • Neuropathies • Parkinson’s disease • Post-traumatic stress disorder
• 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
• Sickle cell anemia • Opiate Use Disorder
• Terminal Illness • Tourette's Syndrome
To participate,
1. One must register with the Department of Health’s Patient and Caregiver Registry.
2. One must talk to a physician who may request: documents and records including MRIs, CT, EEG, EMG/NCS, or other diagnostic study reports, the most recent patient physician notes (2 complete notes: from within the last 2 years, and include: reason for visit, examination, labs ordered, diagnosis, and plan of treatment) from your private doctor, that would be scanned into the patient portal.
3. HAVE PROOF OF RESIDENCY
With the exception of minor or homebound patients, all patients and caregivers will need to show valid proof of their Pennsylvania residency.
Pennsylvania driver’s license, or state issued ID, should have current address. Minors or homebound patients who may not hold a valid driver’s license or state issued ID card will need to have a caregiver apply on their behalf.
4. IDENTIFY CAREGIVERS
A patient can designate caregivers to assist in picking up your medical marijuana. May designate up to two caregivers. You may want to give some thought as to who you may wish to designate, and ask them if they’ll be willing to register as a caregiver.
If you care for a patient who requires a caregiver to apply on their behalf, but you don’t wish to be their registered caregiver, please consider making arrangements with someone who would assist you in applying on behalf of your patient.
6. CHECK FOR UPDATES
Visit www.medicalmarijuana.pa.gov for updates.
To contact the staff at the Office of Medical Marijuana, send an email to
WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?
Once a patient certification is complete, you will be able to purchase your medical marijuana ID card through the registry. You will not be able to obtain medical marijuana until your card is active and received by you in the mail.
Patients
On March 27, 2018, Governor Murphy announced major reforms outlined in a report in response to Executive Order #6 which directed a comprehensive review of the program. The reforms focus on ways to expand access to marijuana for medical purposes and to reduce barriers that patients face when they are seeking access to medicinal marijuana.
Recommendations include a review of regulations and recommendations for statutory action.
Five new categories of qualifying debilitating medical conditions (anxiety, migraines, Tourette’s syndrome, chronic pain related to musculoskeletal disorders, and chronic visceral pain) have been added.
The DOH will also be accepting requests from existing ATCs for waivers to allow satellite locations.
The Department reminds patients that recreational marijuana use is a separate issue requiring legislation to implement in this State, and the Department makes no comment on pending or contemplated legislation.
Do I Qualify?
To become a registered patient with the Medicinal Marijuana Program (MMP), you must:
1. Maintain a bona fide relationship with a physician who is registered with the program.
A bona fide relationship is defined as a relationship in which the physician has ongoing responsibility for the assessment, care, and treatment of a patient’s debilitating medical condition, where:
The physician-patient relationship has existed for at least one year; or
The physician has seen and/or assessed the patient for the debilitating medical condition on at least four visits; or
The physician assumes responsibility for providing management and care of the patient’s debilitating medical condition after conducting a comprehensive medical history and physical examination, including a personal review of the patient’s medical record maintained by other treating physicians reflecting the patient’s reaction and response to conventional medical therapies
2. Be a New Jersey resident
Be diagnosed with a qualifying debilitating medical condition by a New Jersey physician registered with the MMP.
Approved debilitating medical conditions include:
Chronic pain related to musculoskeletal disorders
Chronic pain of visceral origin
Migraine
Anxiety
Tourette's Syndrome
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Opioid Use Disorder as an adjunct to Medication Assisted Therapy
Terminal cancer
Muscular dystrophy
Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease
Terminal illness, if the physician has determined a prognosis of less than 12 months of life.
The following conditions apply, if the patient is resistant to, or intolerant to, conventional therapy:
Seizure disorder, including epilepsy
Intractable skeletal muscular spasticity
Glaucoma
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
The following conditions apply, if severe or chronic pain, severe nausea or vomiting, cachexia or wasting syndrome results from the condition or its treatment:
Positive status for human immunodeficiency virus
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
Cancer
Guidelines for Patients and Caregivers
As a participant in the Medicinal Marijuana Program (MMP), we would like to provide you with guidelines to help ensure your compliance with the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medicinal Marijuana Act (CUMMA).
Your adherence to these guidelines will minimize the risk of problems in the event you encounter law enforcement while in possession of medicinal marijuana or paraphernalia.
The Attorney General has published guidelines for law enforcement agencies in New Jersey regarding the enforcement of CUMMA.
Law enforcement officers will be trained to respect CUMMA, but they will also be trained to make certain that CUMMA is not used to conceal the unauthorized use, possession or distribution of marijuana or other illegal controlled substances.
Patients and caregivers should always carry proper identification, including MMP cards, at all times.
Medicinal marijuana always should be maintained in its original labeled packaging.
Patients should keep medicinal marijuana at their residence and only transport it when absolutely necessary.
Understand that the smell of burning or raw marijuana outside a home will attract law enforcement attention.
If transporting or possessing medicinal marijuana outside their residence patients and caregivers should keep the amount in their possession to a minimum and, as stated above, always maintain it in its original packaging.
Patients and caregivers are not permitted to share, or in any other way re-distribute medicinal marijuana to any other person. Medicinal marijuana is intended solely for the consumption of the patient.
Patients may possess paraphernalia, but only for the purpose of consuming medicinal marijuana.
Patients and caregivers are not permitted to grow or cultivate marijuana, or be in possession of a marijuana plant.
Patients and caregivers may not possess marijuana obtained from a source other than a New Jersey licensed ATC.
Patients may not operate a motorized vehicle (of any sort), aircraft, railroad train, stationary heavy equipment or a vessel while under the influence of medicinal marijuana.
Patients are encouraged to use medicinal marijuana only in their residence.
Patients may not smoke medicinal marijuana in a school bus, on public transportation, or in a private vehicle while in motion. Additionally, patients may not smoke medicinal marijuana on any school grounds or at any correctional facility, public park, beach, recreation center, or other place where smoking is prohibited.
Patients and caregivers may not transport medicinal marijuana across state lines.
A patient or primary caregiver in possession of unwanted marijuana shall dispose of the marijuana by returning it to an ATC. The person returning the marijuana for disposal should present a valid registry identification card, a New Jersey driver’s license or other State-issued photo identification to the ATC or the police.
All patients and caregivers should be cooperative and truthful at all times with law enforcement if they encounter them while in possession of medicinal marijuana or paraphernalia.
You should review these guidelines prior to using or transporting medicinal marijuana. Please contact the MMP Customer Service Unit at (609) 292-0424 if you have any questions.
MEDICAL CANNABIS WHEEL
Conditions that could benefit from medical cannabis
HEMP
Full Spectrum:
Full Spectrum hemp extracts include the full range of cannabinoids (100+) present in the hemp plant. While most of these compounds have their own benefits, they also combine synergistically to provide an overall better effect than any cannabinoid on its own. Full spectrum CBD can contain trace amounts of THC. The legal limit is 0.03%
Broad Spectrum:
Broad Spectrum extracts are very similar to Full Spectrum. While maintaining most benefits of Full Spectrum, these extracts contain all the same ingredients, without the presence of THC.
Isolate:
Think isolated. This extract contains only one cannabinoid!