Q: When can people get medical marijuana?

A: It's expected to take at least 18 months for Pennsylvania to set up its program to provide medical marijuana to qualified patients.

Q: Where will people get it?

A: The state will allow 50 medical marijuana dispensaries, with each allowed to have up to three locations. The goal is to spread them around the state so no one has to travel very far. Medical marijuana won't be available at regular pharmacies.

Q: What else will people need to do?

A: They will need to have one of the 17 approved medical conditions, which include cancer, HIV/AIDS, ALS, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, Huntington's disease, Crohn's disease, chronic pain, PTSD, sickle cell anemia and autism. They will need a recommendation from a physician who has registered with the state and received training, and a card from the state. The card will enable them to get medical marijuana at a dispensary.

Q: How much will medical marijuana cost?

A: That's unknown. But because it's not an FDA-approved drug, it won't be covered by health insurance.

Q: Where will the medical marijuana come from?

A: It will be grown in Pennsylvania, by up to 25 state licensed growers/processors.

Q: Who can be a grower/processor or operate a dispensary?

A: People with big bucks for one thing, and who go through a lot of state hurdles. Growers/processors will have to put up a $10,000 application fee, an initial registration fee of $200,000, and have $2 million in capital, including $500,000 on deposit in a bank. Dispensaries will have to put up a $30,000 initial registration fee for each location, a $5,000 application fee, and have $150,000 on deposit in a bank.

Q: Will people be able to smoke medical marijuana?

A: No. It will come in the forms of pills, topical creams and oils, including forms that can vaporized. Edible forms won't be sold, but people can make edible forms at home.

Q: Can people grow medical marijuana at home?

A: No.