New PA Safe Access office helps patients receive medical marijuana

HUNTINGDON – A new office in Huntingdon County is helping people take the proper steps to receive medical marijuana. It comes after Gov. Tom Wolf signed the “Medical Marijuana Act" into law early last year.

It's been a long time coming but the Pennsylvania Safe Access office is open and can now help patients register with the department of health to potentially receive medical marijuana.

The doors opened at the Huntingdon location over the weekends and already officials say more than 3,800 people have registered statewide.

It's a quick start for the organization that in 2016 helped write and pass "Medical Marijuana Act 16" into law. The law allows medical marijuana for patients with one of 17 medical conditions.

“Since we've passed the bill we decided since we already have the patients networks we now want to make sure patients have the information they need to get into the program and to register with the department of health, find the appropriate doctors and that sort of thing," said founder and executive director Christy Billett.

In order to participate in the program you must be registered with the state department of health's registry.

That's where this company comes into play -- they'll help patients register as either a patient or caregiver.

"Once the department of health gets your registration, they will give you a list of what doctors is currently recommending, right now the program is fairly new so there only about 100 doctors on a list to choose from, and that list is growing every day," said Billett.

Those state-approved doctors can certify patients, so they can then purchase medical marijuana ID cards.

"Right now we currently have two approved growers by the governor and the health department and the board of medical marijuana in Pennsylvania,” said Billett. “They're expecting dispensaries to be open as soon as the first materials are available, I would say probably January, February. There are 17 dispensary entities that have already received licenses."

Although this office is here in Huntingdon, health department leaders will be traveling to all 67 counties in the commonwealth to educate patients about the program and how to register.

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