Legalizing marijuana for recreational use could lead to fewer opioid-spurred health emergencies and overdose deaths, a University of Pittsburgh study has found.

Opioid-related emergency department visits dropped by 7.6% within a year of cannabis legalization for adult residents in four states — California, Nevada, Maine and Massachusetts, according to the analysis led by Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health.

Lead study author Coleman Drake said the research does not point to cannabis legalization as “the silver bullet” to stemming the opioid epidemic — but it could be “another arrow in the quivers” of policymakers to combat the broader crisis.

Three hemp-related projects made the final cut in Pennsylvania’s latest round of Specialty Crop Block Grants.

The grants are provided to high priority specialty crops that are not eligible under the USA’s federal specialty crop grant program.

“Increasing market access and competitiveness means investing in crops with high growth potential that otherwise may be overlooked,” said PA Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding.

Hemp certainly qualifies as one of those crops – and it’s good to see the state’s government continuing to recognise that.

The projects to get a guernsey:

Pennsylvania lawmakers approved legislation last week that makes temporary changes to the state’s medical marijuana program enacted in light of the COVID-19 pandemic permanent under state law. The measure, House Bill 1024, also adopts recommendations from the state’s Medical Marijuana Advisory Board for new regulations that govern the program. A proposed amendment to allow home cultivation of medicinal cannabis by patients and caregivers, however, was not included in the final version of the legislation.

The state House on Monday approved a set of revisions to Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana law, seeking to make permanent some of the changes put in place temporarily because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Representatives voted 164 to 38 for the bill, which would permit dispensing a three-month supply at a time, up from one month’s supply. Patients will be able to continue to pick up their medicine outside a dispensary, rather than coming inside the building.

State Health Department communications director Barry Ciccocioppo said the agency was concerned about provisions of the bill he said threaten product quality and patient safety.

If you're applying for a job in Philadelphia in 2022, you don't need to worry about the weed you smoked over the weekend. 

A new law going into effect next year prohibits any business from making the passage of a marijuana drug test a pre-condition for employment. The decision by the Philadelphia City Council and Mayor Jim Kenney made the City of Brotherly Love one of a handful of governments to put such a law on the books. New York City and Nevada have similar laws, as does Atlanta, Washington D.C., and Maine.

But there are exceptions. So every job seeker in Philadelphia and business owner should become familiar with the details of the law.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has signed a pardon for a former ophthalmologist from Delaware County who grew marijuana as medical treatment for his dying wife.

Paul Ezell was charged after his wife died when leftover plant clippings were discovered. He was sent to jail in 2014 and served six months before being released for good behavior. But as a result of his conviction, he wasn’t able to practice medicine.

Prior to his conviction, he had a clean record – apparently, not even a speeding ticket.

The trend on public support for legalization of marijuana in Pennsylvania is clear, with support growing for the eighth year in a row.

Pennsylvania has only legalized medical marijuana, but the numbers make it look as if it is adult use cannabis driving the sales. Cannabis data company Headset recently expanded its reach into Pennsylvania and published its first full market report based on consumer insights and real-time market data.

Aside from the many negative impacts of illegal grow operations (banned insecticides, illegal diversion of stream water, unchecked chemical runoff), legal operations can also pack a devastating environmental punch.

With both 420 and Earth Day (4/22) being celebrated this week, there’s an opportunity to take a good, hard look at the environmental impacts of the cannabis industry as well as legislative responses to those challenges.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf celebrated the five-year anniversary the state’s Medical Marijuana Act on the weekend.

Under Governor Wolf’s watch, on April 17, 2016 Pennsylvania became the 24th US state to legalize medical marijuana. Today, just under 553,000 patients and caregivers are registered for the program, which covers nearly two dozen medical conditions.

Real estate is one of the more difficult aspects of the cannabis industry. Securing a license is tough but getting your location is even tougher. Each state has different regulations and restrictions, which combined with unique real estate markets makes finding and securing property essential. It’s an expensive endeavor and one in which traditional mortgages aren’t typically an option. 

This presentation will focus on the New England and New York area cannabis real estate markets. It will cover the following states: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.