Harrisburg – Sometime in 2018, when Pennsylvania’s first medical marijuana patients walk in the door of their local marijuana dispensary, the first thing they’ll see is a sign warning them they’ve got to be at least 18 years old to enter unless accompanied by an adult.
They’ll walk past video surveillance cameras and into a stand-alone specialty drugstore, where they’ll meet with a pharmacist or other health professional who has completed four hours of training on treatment with medical marijuana.
Finally, after presenting a valid ID that shows they’ve been certified for medical marijuana treatment, they’ll pay in cash for a sealed container of, at most, a 30-day supply of medical cannabis in the form of pills, oils, topical gels, cream, ointment or liquid that can be administered with a vaporizer.
That’s the picture of a medical marijuana dispensary sketched out in preliminary regulations made public Tuesday by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the agency that was assigned the task of turning the state’s medical marijuana legislation into reality.
The rules met with generally positive reviews from advocates.
“The public comment process will help hone this thoughtful and comprehensive first draft – including further defining having licensed medical professionals on staff, permissible dispensary locations, and products allowed to be dispensed — into a sustainable program that will make Pennsylvania a leader in medical cannabis,” said Michael Bronstein of the American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp.
The law authorizes the issuance of up to 50 dispensary permits, each allowing up to five locations. The state is expected to start accepting applications to operate what amounts to one-product retail drugstores early next year.
The regulations require all dispensaries to be fully enclosed and to be at least 1,000 feet from any public, private or parochial school or day care center. A marijuana dispensary can’t be located inside another business such as a drugstore or physician’s office. It also can’t be located at the same site as a marijuana growing and processing operation.
The dispensaries must be staffed at all times by a medical professional who has completed medical marijuana training. Each permit holder must have at least one pharmacist or doctor on staff at its primary location, while additional shops can be staffed by a registered nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant.
That’s consistent with the language of the medical marijuana law, but it will be a significant expense for dispensary operators, said Becky Dansky, state policy analyst with the Marijuana Policy Project, a pro-legalization group.
Dispensary operators will have to pay a doctor, pharmacist or nurse enough to lure them away from their other career options. “You need to pay them what they would be making in any other context, or more,” she said.
Some other rules:
• All employees must be at least 18 years of age.
• Patients may not self-administer marijuana treatments on-site.
• Dispensaries cannot offer coupons or discounts for marijuana.
Medical marijuana must include the following warning label: “This product is for medicinal use only. Women should not consume during pregnancy or while breastfeeding except on the advice of the practitioner who issued the certification and, in the case of breastfeeding, the infant’s pediatrician. This product might impair the ability to drive or operate heavy machinery. Keep out of reach of children.”
Security must be tight, including professionally monitored security alarms, extensive video surveillance of entry doors, loading dock and storage areas, and silent and audible alarms.
While aggressive, the security requirements seem reasonable, Dansky said.
The state issued draft regulations for growers and processors earlier this year. They are expected to be finalized next month, Health Secretary Karen Murphy said during an update on the state’s medical marijuana program Tuesday morning. The law authorizes up to 25 grower processor licenses.
In her update, Murphy said the state has issued 103 “safe harbor” letters that are designed to help parents and guardians of children who would benefit from medical marijuana treatment to procure the drug elsewhere while the state gets its own system up and running.
The state is seeking comments on the new dispensary rules, which it expects to finalize by the end of the year.
Murphy said the state urges patients, local and state officials and medical marijuana industries to continue to provide comments and advice on the regulations. The state received 1,000 comments on its draft grower processor regulations, she said.
The state remains on track to have the medical marijuana program up and running by 2018.
“This is a program we are starting from the ground up,” Murphy said. “We feel this type of engagement is incredibly important for the integrity of the program.”
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Full Article: What Will A Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Dispensary Look Like?
Author: Scott Kraus
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