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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2025 - 2026
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 18, 2024 03:30 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Tim Twardzik and Rep. Joanne Stehr |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Providing the Department of Health with more oversight of the physician registry under the Medical Marijuana Program (Former HB 2611) |
| In the near future, we will be re-introducing legislation to provide the Department of Health with more oversight when determining whether a physician should be included in the registry of physicians that are authorized to certify individuals for medical marijuana use in this Commonwealth. Recently, two articles published in August 2024[1] and December 2024[2] highlighted some of the deficiencies in the state’s Medical Marijuana Act regarding the Department of Health’s oversight of the physician registry, including a finding that a small number of physicians approved one-third of all medical marijuana certifications in Pennsylvania in a single year. Under that Act, the Department must determine that the physician is, by training or experience, qualified to treat a serious medical condition and that the physician has successfully completed a four-hour training course. As part of its review, the Department receives information from the Department of State whether the physician has a valid, unexpired, unrevoked and unsuspended Pennsylvania license to practice medicine and whether the physician is subject to discipline. As such, the Department lacks clear statutory authority to place conditions on a physician for inclusion in the registry. Further, there is a lack of clear statutory authority regarding when the Department may deny an application for inclusion in the registry for prior conduct. This legislation is not meant to make it more difficult for physicians to be included in the registry, but rather to give the Department more oversight to protect the health and safety of the patients enrolled in the program. Our bill will strengthen the program and ensure that the Department continues to provide needed oversight of the medical marijuana program. Please join us in co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation. |
Introduced as HB28