Pennsylvania’s Health Secretary Blocks Proposal to Allow Nurse Practitioners and Podiatrists to Recommend Medical Marijuana
Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Health, Debra L. Bogen, has rejected a proposal to allow nurse practitioners and podiatrists to recommend medical marijuana to patients. The proposal was put forth by the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Advisory Board’s Regulatory Subcommittee.
The rejected proposal would have allowed nurse practitioners to recommend medical cannabis for any serious medical condition, while podiatrists would have been able to recommend it only for foot-related pain. However, Secretary Bogen denied the proposal, citing state law, which limits medical marijuana authorization to doctors.
The decision was made despite support from the state’s Board of Nursing and Board of Podiatry. The Board of Nursing had expressed support for the proposal related to nurse practitioners, while the Board of Podiatry backed the recommendation regarding podiatrists.
The rejection of the proposal comes as Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering marijuana legalization. In September, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill to legalize marijuana, and Governor Josh Shapiro has expressed support for the measure. However, the proposal faces opposition from some lawmakers and is not expected to pass this year.
