Recommendations made by Advisory Board Approved

The Medical, Patient/Caregiver and Regulatory Subcommittees recommend that the program expand the form of medical marijuana permitted under Act 16 to include dry leaf or plant form for administration by vaporization. 11-0-1 Approved

The Patient/Caregiver Subcommittee recommends that the medical condition of “cancer” be revised to “cancer; including remission therapy.” 10-1-1 Approved

The Patient/Caregiver Subcommittee recommends that the medical condition of “neurodegenerative diseases” be added to the list of serious medical conditions. 11-0-1 Approved

The Patient/Caregiver Subcommittee recommends that the medical condition of “damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity” be changed to “damage to the nervous tissue of the CNS (brain-spinal cord) with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity, and other associated neuropathies.” 11-0-1 Approved

The Patient/Caregiver Subcommittee recommends adding the medical condition of “dyskinetic and spastic movement disorders.” 10-1-1 Approved

The Patient/Caregiver Subcommittee recommends adding the medical condition of “addiction substitute therapy-opioid reduction.” 6-4-2 Approved

The Patient/Caregiver Subcommittee recommends that the certification to use medical marijuana be modified to limit the practitioner’s ability to specify medical marijuana form and dosing. 3-8-1 Not Approved

The Patient/Caregiver Subcommittee recommends establishing a default time period of one year on a patient’s certification. 6-5-1 Approved

The Medical Subcommittee and the Regulatory Subcommittee recommend that the program not expand the types of medical professionals who can issue certifications to patients. The Medical Subcommittee and the Regulatory Subcommittee further recommend that the program continue to accept input from the patient and provider community and consider adding additional medical professions in the future. 10-1-1 Approved

The Medical Subcommittee recommends that no medical conditions be removed from the list of serious medical conditions. 11-0-1 Approved

The Medical and Patient/Caregiver Subcommittees recommend that “Severe chronic or intractable pain in which conventional therapeutic intervention and opiate therapy is contraindicated or ineffective” be changed to “Severe chronic or intractable pain.” 11-0-1 Approved

The Medical Subcommittee recommends a process be established for a subcommittee of the board to review and approve additional conditions on a continuous basis. 12-0-1 Approved

The Medical Subcommittee recommends that patients under the age of 18 be certified by a physician who is board eligible/certified in pediatrics or pediatric specialties, neurology with special qualification in child neurology, child and adolescent psychiatry, or adolescent medicine (whether through pediatrics, internal medicine or family practice). 10-2-1 Approved

The Medical Subcommittee recommends that more research be done on the use of medical marijuana for addiction treatment. 12-0-1 Approved

The Patient/Caregiver Subcommittee recommends adding the medical condition of “terminally ill,” meaning a medical prognosis of life expectancy of approximately one year or less if the illness runs its normal course. 11-1-1 Approved

The Patient/Caregiver Subcommittee recommends that the Department of Health encourage clinical registrants under Chapter 20 to study the medical benefits of cannabis for individuals with autoimmune diseases. 12-0-1 Approved

The Regulatory Subcommittee recommends that the program make no changes to the cct concerning the number of growers/processors and dispensaries at present. The program should assess the numbers as the program expands. 12-0-1 Approved

The Patient/Caregiver Subcommittee recommends allowing dispensaries to purchase vaporizing devices and other ancillary products from sources other than grower/processor permittees. 9-3-1 Approved