Senate votes 40-7 in favor of bill that would allow seriously ill Pennsylvanians to use marijuana to treat their medical conditions
[Press Release] HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Senate voted 40-7 today to approve a bill that would make it legal for seriously ill patients to use marijuana to treat their conditions with recommendations from their doctors. The bill will now go to the House for consideration.
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SB 3, sponsored by Sen. Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon), would allow qualified patients to obtain medical marijuana from a limited number of licensed, regulated dispensaries throughout the state. Smoking would not be permitted, but patients could consume marijuana in edible form, and patients with certain conditions could consume it through vaporization. Home cultivation would also not be allowed under the bill. Patients under the age of 18 would be required to have parental consent in order to take part in the program.
Pennsylvanians suffering from cancer, seizures, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cachexia/wasting syndrome, Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injury and postconcussion syndrome, multiple sclerosis, Spinocerebellara Ataxia (SCA), posttraumatic stress disorder, severe fibromyalgia, HIV/AIDS, glaucoma, Crohn’s disease, diabetes, and chronic pain would be eligible for the program with a recommendation from their doctor.
“Seriously ill Pennsylvanians are one step closer to finding relief with the passage of SB 3 in the Senate,” said Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project. “We commend the Senators for supporting this compassionate, sensible legislation. Representatives in the House should listen to the vast majority of their constituents who think people should have safe access to the medicine that works for them without being treated like criminals.”
According to a March 2014 poll by Quinnipiac University, 85% of Pennsylvania voters support medical marijuana. Currently, 23 states and the District of Columbia have effective medical marijuana laws. Gov. Tom Wolf has previously expressed his willingness to sign a medical marijuana bill into law.
Source: The Marijuana Policy Project, the nation’s largest marijuana policy organization, has been responsible for changing most state-level marijuana laws since 2000. For more information, visit http://www.MarijuanaPolicy.org.
