As first reported on our sister blog, “In the Weeds” (post accessible here), on July 26, 2017, the Pennsylvania Department of Health opened its Medical Marijuana Practitioner Registry.  Physicians licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania may now apply online to register to certify the use of medical marijuana for their patients.  The online application may be completed here.

Medical marijuana in jar lying on prescription form
Copyright: megaflopp / 123RF Stock Photo

The Practitioner Registry will be publicly searchable and will include each practitioner’s name, business address, and medical credentials.  As noted in one of our prior blog posts on the subject (accessible here), it is still unclear whether practitioners may represent on their own practice websites that they are registered with the Pennsylvania Department of Health to certify the use of medical marijuana.

In order to complete the registration process, physicians will be required to complete a four-hour training program on the use of medical marijuana to treat serious medical conditions.  As part of its Press Release on the opening of the Practitioner Registry, the Department of Health has announced that the following two continuing education providers have been approved to offer the training program to practitioners at this time:  Answer Page Inc. and Extra Step Assurance LLC.  Further information on the training courses can be found at the companies’ websites.

For more information on Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Program and how it applies to practitioners, please see our prior blog post on the subject (link), as well as the state website for the Program (accessible at this link).  According to the Press Release, Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Program is still on track to be fully implemented in 2018.