Pennsylvania legalizes medical cannabis

Pennsylvania has become the 24th U.S. state to legalize a medical marijuana.

Democratic Governor Tom Wolf signed the bill Sunday afternoon surrounded by a cheering crowd of supporters at the Harrisburg Capitol.

«Cannabis is medicine and it's coming to Pennsylvania,» said Democratic Senator Daylin Leach, the bill's co-creator. He also said it would take two years to determine the rules and open dispensaries, but a provision allows parents to legally administer medical cannabis to their children before the law takes effect in a month.

The law establishes standards for tracking plants, certifying doctors and licensing growers, dispensaries and healthcare professionals. Patients will be able to take cannabis in pill, oil, vapor, cream and liquid form, but will not be allowed to legally obtain cannabis to make or to grow.

Patients will need to obtain a patient identification card from a certified physician. The state will authorize 50 dispensaries, each with up to 3 locations.

Medical conditions covered by the law include:

• amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• autism
• cancer
• Crohn's disease
• epilepsy
• glaucoma
• HIV
• Huntington's disease
• multiple sclerosis
• post-traumatic stress disorder
• Parkinson's disease
• etc...

Republican Senator Mike Vereb called on lawmakers to tackle Pennsylvania's «biggest killer», opioid abuse.

Among those celebrating this legislative breakthrough were the parents of Dana Ulrich, who were fighting for legal access to cannabis to relieve their 8-year-old daughter Lorelei's numerous epileptic seizures.

«I never doubted for a second that this day would come,» she told the crowd, thanking patient supporters, caregivers, lawyers and the governor. «When you're part of a group of dedicated people who have the same goal and the same mindset, you can achieve anything.».

Governor Tom Wolf announced that this was «a great, great day for Pennsylvania, but more importantly, a great one for Pennsylvanians» . He said this was not a response to a special interest group or financial imperatives, but «a real human need».

«When you have people representing a cause so eloquently and sensitively, it shows that we can do something meaningful,» he finally said.