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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 6, 2019 10:05 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Mike Folmer |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Protecting Medical Cannabis Patients |
| While my Medical Cannabis legislation (Act 16 of 2016) has some protections for patients because cannabis continues to be classified as a Schedule I FDA drug, it has come to my attention additional protections are needed. Specifically, patients with Pennsylvania Department of Health medical marijuana cards may have issues while driving. Patients and attorneys, including the District Attorney's Association, agree this needs to be addressed through a simple amendment to the Vehicle Code (Title 75) that treats medical marijuana just like other prescription medicines. For this reason, I plan to introduce legislation to amend the Vehicle Code to add cannabis used lawfully under the Medical Marijuana Act as another exception to "controlled substance." This protection would NOT include those who use marijuana recreationally and/or illegally in any manner, including those using medical marijuana legally but are otherwise impaired: It would still be illegal to drive while impaired even if you've legally used medical marijuana. In other words, it would apply to approved medical marijuana patients who use medical marijuana legally and are not impaired, just like other prescription medicines. I hope you will join me in cosponsoring this important piece of legislation to better protect patients. If you have any questions, please contact Fallon Binner (fbinner@pasen.gov or 7-1347). |
Introduced as SB475