Increasing scrutiny
There have been some calls to change the system. Some Medical Marijuana Advisory Board members in November called for greater scrutiny of advertising by third-party businesses and certifications done over the phone or on a computer. One doctor on the board specifically singled out anxiety. In a January response, the Health Department said it investigates all complaints and it expects doctors to “practice ethically and responsibly.”
The Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society in 2021 urged the state to mandate that medical marijuana patients receive detailed information about the risks to patients associated with marijuana use and the lack of scientific evidence for certain conditions.
A Health Department spokesperson did not provide a direct response when asked about the society’s recommendation. But she said protections are in place for patients: They must be under a doctor’s continuing care, dispensaries have medical professionals available, and safety inserts are included with medical marijuana products.
Pennsylvania’s list of qualifying conditions has remained the same since 2019. The advisory board voted in November 2021 to add chronic hepatitis to the list, but the recommendation had not received final approval as of mid-January. The board also approved a process last year to allow academic programs to apply to have conditions added exclusively for research purposes, but had not received any applications as of early January.
That research approach was not an option when William Trescher, a pediatric neurologist at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, served on the advisory board. He is one of the members who voted against adding anxiety as a qualifying condition.
His views on marijuana are nuanced. Trescher said that speaking personally, and not as a doctor, he supports legalizing adult-use cannabis. And he supports marijuana as a treatment for some conditions. But as a member of the advisory board, he was reluctant to have the state endorse cannabis as a medical treatment option for anxiety.
“People can go out and make their decisions about using alcohol,” he said. “But I probably wouldn’t want to be in a position of saying ... ‘OK, I’m going to write a prescription. You should have a glass of wine every night because I think that’s good for you.’ ”
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