Harrisburg, PA - In the latest step to allow medical marijuana research in Pennsylvania, the Wolf Administration today released applications for entities to become Clinical Registrants (CRs).
“The clinical registrants will work hand-in-hand with the eight certified medical schools to conduct groundbreaking medical marijuana research,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Together, these entities will come together to research the effect medical marijuana use may have on some of the most severe medical issues of our time. These studies have the potential to help cancer patients, veterans and individuals who are struggling with opioid use disorder.”
The research program, guided by Act 43 of 2018, allows for eight CRs. The CR will serve as both the grower/processor and the dispensary, assisting the Academic Clinical Research Centers (ACRCs) with providing and dispensing medical marijuana for research. Each potential CR must either hold, or apply for, a grower/processor permit and a dispensary permit from the department. Each potential CR must also include a research contract with a certified ACRC in their application and include a description of the research program the pair intends to conduct. If approved, the CR may not hold more than one grower/processor permit and one dispensary permit. Applications are available now on the Department of Health’s medical marijuana website and must be submitted before the Nov. 8, 2018 deadline.
More than 73,000 patients in Pennsylvania have registered to participate in the medical marijuana program, more than 45,000 have received their identification cards and are able to purchase medical marijuana at a dispensary. Approximately,1250 physicians have registered for the program, 830 of whom have been approved as practitioners.
The medical marijuana program was signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf on April 17, 2016. Since that time, the department has:
- Completed temporary regulations for growers/processors, dispensaries, physicians, patients, laboratories, and clinical registrants and academic clinical research centers, all of which have been published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin;
- Issued Phase I permits to grower/processors and dispensaries;
- Developed the Medical Marijuana Physician Workgroup;
- Convened the Medical Marijuana Advisory Board;
- Approved six training providers for physician continuing education;
- Approved four laboratories to test this medication before it is delivered to patients;
- Launched registries for patients and caregivers, as well as practitioners;
- Registered more than 73,000 patients for the program;
- Approved 33 dispensaries and 12 grower/processors to begin operations;
- Continued to work with permittees to ensure they will be operational;
- Accepted Phase II permit applications for dispensary applicants; and
- Issued 13 Phase II permits to grower/processors.
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.
For more information about the medical marijuana program, visit www.medicalmarijuana.pa.gov or follow the Department of Health on Facebook and Twitter.
MEDIA CONTACT: Nate Wardle, 717-787-1783 or ra-dhpressoffice@pa.gov
# # #