Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) signed the state’s Senate- and House-approved medical marijuana law on Sunday, making it the 24th state to legalize cannabis for medicinal purposes.
The program will roll out in the next 18 to 24 months, after which patients with their doctor’s approval will be able to legally acquire and consume cannabis products in the treatment of several specific conditions, including “cancer, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord damage, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, glaucoma and PTSD.”
According to Gov. Wolf, opening up another treatment option “will improve the quality of life for patients and their families throughout Pennsylvania.” Gov. Wolf had been lobbying lawmakers to pass the law for months.
The new law will allow a maximum of 150 cannabis dispensaries and the state will be collecting a 5 percent tax on all medical marijuana sales. Furthermore, officials anticipate up to $10 million per year in application and registration fees for the industry.
The bill was first proposed nearly one year ago, and has persevered through several iterations, bouncing back and forth between the Pennsylvania Senate and House until the House finally concurred last week with the Senate’s bill.
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