Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has a medical marijuana program. Participants are authorized possess a 30-day supply of marijuana. Home cultivation is prohibited, as are combustible forms of cannabis.
Medical professionals in the state of Pennsylvania must be either MDs or DOs with active medical licenses if they would like to recommend marijuana to patients. Additionally, all qualifying practitioners are required to create a profile by following the instructions on the Pennsylvania Department of Health portal: https://padohmmp.custhelp.com/app/login. They then must complete a 4-hour training program.
Patients with the following conditions may qualify as participants in Pennsylvania’s program:
• ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
• Anxiety disorders
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Cancer
• Crohn’s disease
• Dyskinetic/spastic movement disorder
• Epilepsy
• Glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• Huntington’s disease
• IBD (inflammatory bowel disorder)
• Intractable pain
• Intractable seizures
• Intractable spasticity
• Multiple sclerosis
• Neurodegenerative disorders
• Neuropathies
• Parkinson’s disease
• PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
• Sickle cell anemia
• Tourette disease
• Terminal illnesses
Pennsylvania does not have a reciprocity program to accommodate medical marijuana patients from out of state. More importantly, the law allowing parents or legal guardians to obtain marijuana from out of state for patients under the age of 18 is no longer in effect. It has since lapsed.
For more information about Pennsylvania’s program, please see the website for the state’s Department of Health: https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/programs/Medical%20Marijuana/Pages/Medical%20Marijuana.aspx.
Recreational marijuana is not legal in the state of Pennsylvania, but the following jurisdictions have decriminalized possession of up to 30 grams, and only issue a fine for violators:
• Allentown ($25 fine)
• Carlisle Borough ($25 fine and $100 fine for smoking in public (via vote December 10, 2020))
• Chippewa Township ($300 fine)
• Delaware County ($50 fine)
• Doylestown ($25 fine)
• Erie ($25 fine)
• Folcroft ($100 fine (via borough council vote July 20, 2020))
• Harrisburg ($75-$150 fine)
• Norristown ($25 fine)
• Phoenixville ($25-$100 fine)
• Philadelphia ($25 fine)
• Pittsburgh ($25 fine)
• State College ($250 fine)
• Upper Darby (judge's discretion)
• York ($100 fine)
The city of Lancaster has decriminalized up to 1 oz of marijuana. The penalty for possessing up to this amount is $25-$75. West Norriton passed an ordinance in October 2020 that also decriminalizes possession of up to 1 oz of marijuana. Violators will be fined $40.
In the rest of the state, possession is a misdemeanor. Possession of 30 g or less of flower marijuana or 8 g or less of THC concentrate may result in a fine of $500 and a period of incarceration of up to 30 days. Possession of more than 30 g of flower marijuana or more than 8 g of concentrate may result in a fine of $5,000 and up to 1 year of incarceration. Cultivation is a felony punishable by 2.5-5 years of incarceration and a fine no more than $15,000.
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