How to get medical marijuana for minor patients in Pennsylvania

One of the forms permissible under Pennsylvania's nascent medical marijuana program, cannabidiol vapor products are displayed June 17, 2016, during the Cannabis World Congress & Business Expo at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. (Getty Images | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Pennsylvania health officials this week made available applications to administer medical marijuana to eligible minors.

The application is available online from the Pennsylvania Department of Health for parents, legal guardians, caregivers and spouses of minors in their care with qualifying, physician-documented serious medical conditions.

Gov. Tom Wolf on April 17 signed Senate Bill 3 into law as Act 16 of 2016, offering medical marijuana to Pennsylvanians under a physician's care for the treatment of a serious medical condition as defined by the act.

The law permits certified patients to use cannabis in the form of a pill, oil, topical form, tincture or liquid, including by vaporization or nebulization. Smoking remains prohibited, as does distribution of marijuana in dry leaf or plant form without further study and approval.

The measure took effect May 17, though implementation is projected to take between 18 and 24 months.

In the meantime, the application for a Safe Harbor Letter "means children with serious medical conditions and those who care for them can begin to experience an increased quality of life," according to state Secretary of Health Karen Murphy.

"It's very important to remember that approved Safe Harbor Letters should always be carried with individuals whenever medical marijuana is being transported and administered outside of the home," Murphy said in a statement.

Safe Harbor is permitted only for minors.

The Department of Health offers this checklist of documents and information necessary to submit an application for a Safe Harbor Letter.

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