Harrisburg, PA - Governor Tom Wolf announced today his recipients of the Governor’s Awards for Excellence, including employees of the Medical Marijuana Office from the Department of Health for their exemplary job performance and service that reflects initiative, leadership, innovation and increased efficiency.
Members of the Medical Marijuana office recognized with the award included Director John Collins, Lawrence Clark, Sunny Podolak, Holli Senior, Lolly Bentch, Tabbitha Bosack, Amanda Yeager, Wendy Carson and Susan Jones.
In 2017, the Medical Marijuana office was responsible for creating registries, ensuring the competent review of applications for and issuance of permits to grower/processors and dispensaries. Implementation of the program, which occurred in February 2018, required creation of new regulations involving coordination across many areas of the Department of Health.
“Implementing the Medical Marijuana program has truly been a team effort for the department, and the leadership the Medical Marijuana Office has shown is quite impressive,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Our goal has been to ensure that this medically based program gives another option to sick patients, and our staff has worked tirelessly to ensure that has happened. I am honored to work with these members of my staff, and grateful for the great work they have accomplished.”
The Medical Marijuana Program was signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf on April 17, 2016. Since that time, the department has:
Completed the Safe Harbor temporary guidelines and Safe Harbor Letter application process, as well as approved more than 340 applications;
Completed temporary regulations for growers/processors, dispensaries, physicians, patients, laboratories, and academic clinical research centers and clinical registrants, all of which have been published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin;
Issued permits to grower/processors and dispensaries;
Developed the Medical Marijuana Physician Workgroup;
Convened the Medical Marijuana Advisory Board;
Approved five training providers for physician continuing-education;
Approved four laboratories to test medication before it is delivered to patients;
Launched registries for patients and caregivers, as well as physicians;
Registered nearly 32,500 patients for the program;
Approved 19 dispensaries and 12 grower/processers to begin operations; and
Continue to work with permittees to ensure they will become operational.
The Medical Marijuana Program offers medical marijuana to patients who are residents of Pennsylvania and under a practitioner’s care for the treatment of a serious medical condition as defined by the Medical Marijuana Law.
The Governor’s Awards for Excellence recognize commonwealth employees for exemplary job performance or service that reflects initiative, leadership, innovation and/or increased efficiency. A total of 47 employees from 10 agencies received awards for 2017.
Questions about the Medical Marijuana Program can be emailed to RA-DHMedMarijuana@pa.gov. Information is also available at www.medicalmarijuana.pa.gov.
MEDIA CONTACT: Nate Wardle, 717-787-1783 or ra-dhpressoffice@pa.gov
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