from Spotlight PA this year has uncovered serious flaws in Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program and prompted calls for change from doctors, patients, industry leaders, and policymakers.
Medical experts shared the investigation online and stressed the importance of patients using federally approved medication, such as buprenorphine and methadone, for addiction treatment. The Department of Health has declined to say whether it’s made any changes to its oversight of online marketing by dispensaries. The department has repeatedly said it doesn’t have authority over medical marijuana card companies, and lawmakers haven’t introduced any recent bills to expand the agency’s power over those companies.
To report this story, Spotlight PA uncovered previously hidden disciplinary records, including warnings the Department of Health sent physicians and responses from those doctors defending themselves and criticizing the unequal system.While reporting the story, several former or current lawmakers and members of the state’s Medical Marijuana Advisory Board said they were unaware of the extent of the disparity — or that it existed at all — until Spotlight PA revealed it.
The department has advocated for changes to the rules too. The agency wants to ban physicians from charging excessive fees for certifications and follow-ups, writing that the department “has an interest in ensuring that those practitioners are not taking advantage of patients in need of medical marijuana.” But the department’s proposal didn’t specify a price it would consider too high.