Medical marijuana bill sent to full Pennsylvania House

Marijuana plants are weeks from harvest Sept. 15, 2015, at a medical marijuana cultivation center in Albion, Illinois. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives Rules Committee on Nov. 18, 2015, voted to send a medical marijuana proposal already passed by the Senate to the full House for consideration. (AP file photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives could vote as early as next week on creating a medical marijuana program, a spokesman for the majority leader said Wednesday.

Members of the House Rules Committee voted 25-8 on Wednesday to send to the full House the medical marijuana bill, SB3, passed May 12 in the Senate.

"The goal is to get something out of the House ... that will eventually get to the governor's desk for his signature," said Steve Miskin, spokesman for the Pennsylvania House GOP and Majority Leader Dave Reed, R-Indiana.

Reed is chairman of the Rules Committee and was among those to vote to lay the bill on the table for the House.

Gov. Tom Wolf has maintained he supports creating a medical marijuana program.

Steve Hoenstine, spokesman for bill co-sponsor Sen. Daylin Leach, D-Montgomery/Delaware, said he was happy to see the committee pass the bill overwhelmingly.

"We hope the entire House acts quickly to pass our bill without amendment," Hoenstine said, adding that he understands amendments will be considered.

The bill as proposed would create a medical cannabis access card, available by prescription to adults or patient representative of a minor, and a system for growing and dispensing sativa, indica and hybrid strains of cannabis.

Patients would be eligible for 2 1/2 ounces of medical cannabis every two weeks, without a Pennsylvania Department of Health waiver for more.

Smoking marijuana would remain prohibited, but patients would be able to consume cannabis through vaporization and the use of oils, ointments, tinctures, liquids, gels, pills and similar substances, as well as homemade edible products.

The list of conditions for which cannabis could be prescribed includes cancer, epilepsy and seizures, ALS, wasting syndrome, Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injury and post-concussion syndrome, multiple sclerosis, Spinocerebellar ataxia, post-traumatic stress disorder, fibromyalgia, HIV/AIDS, glaucoma and any "chronic or intractable pain where other methods of treatment no longer have therapeutic or palliative benefit." The proposal also allows residents to petition to add conditions, beginning July 1, 2017.

The Senate on Sept. 24, 2014, approved a medical marijuana program, but the bill died as the 2013-14 session ended without coming up for a vote in the House. It was reintroduced in January when the new two-year session began.

Including New Jersey, 23 states and the District of Columbia have medical cannabis programs.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.