Pennsylvania Lawmakers To Take Up Medical Marijuana Proposal
HARRISBURG, Pa. (KDKA/AP) - A proposal to allow marijuana to be prescribed for a list of medical conditions is heading to the Pennsylvania House floor, where it could face changes before a final vote.
The House planned to take up more than 220 amendments to the bill on Monday, and it could be Wednesday or later before the chamber decides whether to approve the legislation.
The 69-page bill under consideration passed the Senate in May by a vote of 40 to 7.
The Medical Cannabis Act would empower a state board to license growers, dispensers and processors.
Twenty-three states have legalized doctor-prescribed marijuana in limited cases.
And with Gov. Tom Wolf's support, Pennsylvania could join the trend.
"There are parents desperate for this help, and frankly, it's about time," Pennsylvania Sen. Camera Bartolotta, a Washington County Republican, told KDKA political editor Jon Delano on Friday.
Patients would need a written certification from a doctor or nurse confirming they have a qualifying condition.
The list of approved conditions includes cancer, epilepsy, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, glaucoma, diabetes and chronic or intractable pain.
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