"Given your prior service at the Pennsylvania Department of Health we are sure you are aware of the high profile political debate at the state level, particularly in Pennsylvania, on the issue of the medicinal use of cannabis. With legislation to legalize medical cannabis currently pending and likely on the verge of passage in some form in our state legislature, PAMED is hopeful that the DEA announcement may serve to slow down the process of state legislation on marijuana legalization in favor of FDA-approved clinical research on cannabis and rescheduling of the substance."



Legislative advocates and patients alike want to use marijuana for a number of illnesses and conditions despite incomplete and limited FDA research on its safety and efficacy. PAMED members have indicated that they prefer additional research and clinical study on the medical use of cannabis before the Commonwealth moves to permit its medical use.