Pennsylvania legislators are considering a bill that would impose additional restrictions on physicians participating in the state's medical marijuana program, Penn Live reported Oct. 27.
Here are three things to know:
- Under the bill, the Pennsylvania Department of Health could place a physician on probation and limit the number of patient certifications they can issue within a specific time period. The department could also impose reporting requirements and require a physician to be supervised by another physician.
- Additionally, the bill would bar physicians from joining the program if they have a felony conviction under a state drug law within the previous five years, the report said.
- The bill follows an investigation by Spotlight PA that revealed significant disparities in how frequently physicians approved patients for medical marijuana cards. Of the 1,300 physicians who issued at least one certification in 2022, most issued fewer than 100, while some issued thousands, including three physicians who issued more than 11,000.