As Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program gathered speed and support, the Pennsylvania Department of Health made a request for common public questions to be collected and answered by industry professionals. The American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp (ATACH) was tasked to gather the most pressing questions, prepare them for critical review, and provide detailed answers. After working with and getting legal counsel from Sacks Weston LLC, as well as a handful of other firms and companies that provided helpful input, ATACH has released its list of the most-pressing questions about medical marijuana that the people of Pennsylvania have been asking.
To briefly summarize the top 10 questions:
- What mix of industry professionals and government employees will be in charge of reviewing, approving, or denying medical marijuana business applications?
- If fingerprinting medical marijuana business applicants will remain as a mandatory measure, how will it be conducted, and will out-of-state applicants need to travel to Pennsylvania for it?
- Will dispensary applications be prioritized based on the number of planned dispensaries in the future?
- What are the odds that the Department of Health will add a new regulation that distances medical marijuana growers and processors from certain areas, such as schoolyards?
- Will medical marijuana be able to create its own training requirements based on an employee’s permission, so long as the training is at least two hours in duration?
- Why is testing Section 21 of medical marijuana business permit applications blank?
- What information is required – as named specifically – to be redacted from such an application?
- Where can an applicant provide images, diagrams, sketches, etc. within the permit application, if this is permitted at all?
- Since regulations state grower and processing facilities need to provide back-up generators in case of a power outage and adequate security systems, what are the specific requirements in mind, or does it vary from facility to facility?
- Must the $500,000 capital requirement on the G/P license be held from the very beginning of the application process?
You can access the full list of questions and answers – there is 270 total questions – by clicking here. You can also click here to access a file specific to fingerprinting and criminal history background checks, which proved to be one of the most frequently asked questions by the public.
With these key questions are answered, companies interested in the medical marijuana industry, legislators, and the Pennsylvania public should all be one step closer to peace of mind regarding the subject. There has been much speculation and concern surrounding the legalization of medical marijuana for years. It can be agreed that everyone will benefit from more clarification.
Sacks Weston LLC has been advocating alongside ATACH for years. If you are looking into the specifics of starting a medical marijuana industry but do not understand the many legal intricacies, our Pennsylvania medical marijuana lawyers can help you. We are well-versed in all facets of medical marijuana law in and out of the state, including new and developing hemp laws. New clients can call 215.764.3008 or contact us online.
