Pennsylvania moves closer to legalizing recreational marijuana in the state with each passing month and year.
It is well known that most Pennsylvanians now support the recreational use of marijuana in the state.
Governor Tom Wolf has signed legislation to make significant changes to Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Act and improve patient access.
House Bill 1024 implements the Department of Health’s recommendations to revise the Medical Marijuana Act, signed into law in 2016.
As reported by the governor’s office, the bill safeguards the standards for patient safety and product quality of the state’s medical-marijuana program. It also enables the state’s Medical Marijuana Advisory Board to consider new qualifying illnesses.
The government also stated that the bill would keep certain flexibilities enacted as part of the state’s COVID-19 disaster declaration that patients and dispensaries found useful.
Following Governor Wolf’s signing of the bill, medical marijuana can be purchased in 90-day increments rather than the previous 30 days. However, in keeping with pandemic tradition, dispensaries will continue to offer curbside pickup.
“It has been five years since Pennsylvania legalized medical marijuana,” Wolf recalled. “And in that time, the Department of Health has examined the program’s successes and challenges.”
When evaluating the usefulness of the information in the document, Wolf recognized how the Department of Health made critical recommendations on how to improve the law.
The Republican-controlled state legislature has clashed with the Wolf administration regarding its position that marijuana should be fully legalized for Pennsylvania residents.
In November 2020, New Jersey approved full legalization which went into effect in January 2021.
“This legislation makes critical updates to our state’s medical marijuana program,” the governor stated. “To ensure that patients have improved access to medication.”
