In a July 26, 2017 Press Release, the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced the opening of its Practitioner Registry. This marks the next critical step in implementing Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Program, which the DOH expects to be fully operational by 2018. Physicians can find out more about the Medical Marijuana Program here and complete the Registry here.

Last month, the DOH released final Regulations for Physicians and is now officially soliciting doctors to participate in the program. The role of physicians is essential for patients who wish to use medical marijuana, as Pennsylvania law requires every patient to receive a “Certification” from a licensed practitioner that the patient has a “serious medical condition” and that the use of medical marijuana would benefit the patient. See 35 P.S. § 10231.403.

Under the current Regulations, the registry will be publicly available and will include each practitioner’s name, business address, and medical credentials. According to the Press Release, the DOH, “surveyed physicians and found that of the 191 that participated, 75 percent said they would register with the program.”

Now the hope for patients, grower/processors, and dispensaries is that these physicians follow through on the registration and complete the puzzle necessary to move the program forward. Stay tuned here for more updates!

Joseph McNelis works in Fox Rothschild’s Blue Bell, PA office and focuses his practice on labor and employment matters. Joe also tracks legal developments in the cannabis industry in Pennsylvania and nationwide. Joe can be contacted at 610-397-2332 or jmcnelis@foxrothschild.com.