Pennsylvania legalizes medical marijuana, hopes to curb opioid abuse
On Sunday, Pennsylvania became the 24th state to legalize medical marijuana. Gov. Tom Wolf signed the bill into law after it breezed through the House and Senate last week.
Pennsylvanians will only be able to access the medicine if a doctor determines they suffer from a list of 17 conditions. Those conditions include cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, intractable seizures and severe chronic pain.
Some lawmakers hope marijuana will become a popular alternative to opioid painkillers to treat chronic pain. Opioid abuse is a big problem in the Keystone State. Pennsylvania had the ninth-highest rate of fatal drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2014.
See the Marijuana laws in each state so far:
Alabama
No legalization of any kind
(Photo: Dennis Macdonald via Getty Images)
Alaska
Marijuana legalized for medical and recreational use
(Photo: Zoonar/N.Okhitin via Getty Images)
Arkansas
No legalization of any kind
(photo: yorkfoto)
California
Marijuana legalized for medical use
(Photo: Dorling Kindersley via Getty Images)
Colorado
Marijuana legalized for medical and recreational use
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Connecticut
Marijuana legalized for medical use
(photo: Shutterstock)
Delaware
Marijuana legalized for medical use
(photo: Shutterstock)
Florida
No legalization of any kind
(photo: Shutterstock)
Georgia
No legalization of any kind
(photo: Shutterstock)
Hawaii
Marijuana legalized for medical use
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Idaho
No legalization of any kind
(photo: Shutterstock)
Illinois
Marijuana legalized for medical use
(Photo: VisionsofAmerica/Joe Sohm)
Indiana
No legalization of any kind
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Iowa
No legalization of any kind
(photo: yorkfoto)
Kansas
No legalization of any kind
(photo: Shutterstock)
Kentucky
No legalization of any kind
(Photo: Dorling Kindersley via Getty Images)
Louisiana
No legalization of any kind
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Maine
Marijuana legalized for medical use
(photo: Shutterstock)
Maryland
Marijuana legalized for medical use
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Massachusetts
Marijuana legalized for medical use
(photo: Shutterstock)
Michigan
Marijuana legalized for medical use
(photo: Shutterstock)
Mississippi
No legalization of any kind
(Photo: Medioimages/Photodisc via Getty Images)
Missouri
No legalization of any kind
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Nebraska
No legalization of any kind
(photo: Shutterstock)
Nevada
Marijuana legalized for medical use
(photo: Shutterstock)
New Hampshire
Marijuana legalized for medical use
(photo: Shutterstock)
New Jersey
Marijuana legalized for medical use
(Photo: Shutterstock)
New Mexico
Marijuana legalized for medical use
(photo: Shutterstock)
New York
Marijuana legalized for medical use
(photo: Shutterstock)
North Carolina
No legalization of any kind
(photo: Getty Images)
North Dakota
No legalization of any kind
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Ohio
No legalization of any kind
(photo: Shutterstock)
Oklahoma
No legalization of any kind
(photo: Shutterstock)
Oregon
Marijuana legalized for medical and recreational use
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Pennsylvania
No legalization of any kind
(photo: Henryk Sadura)
Rhode Island
Marijuana legalized for medical use
(Photo: Shutterstock)
South Carolina
No legalization of any kind
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Tennessee
No legalization of any kind
(photo: Shutterstock)
Texas
No legalization of any kind
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Utah
No legalization of any kind
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Vermont
Marijuana legalized for medical use
(photo: Shutterstock)
Virginia
No legalization of any kind
(photo: Shutterstock)
Washington
Marijuana legalized for medical and recreational use
(photo: Shutterstock)
West Virginia
No legalization of any kind
(Photo: dk_photos via Getty Images )
Wisconsin
No legalization of any kind
(photo: Kubrak78)
Wyoming
No legalization of any kind
(Photo: Space Images via Getty Images)
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A study from the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center found that "states with medical marijuana laws had a 24.8 percent lower average annual opioid overdose death rate compared to states without such laws."
Former U.S. Marine Mike Whiter helped push for medical marijuana in Pennsylvania. After serving in Iraq, he was diagnosed with PTSD.
To fight that, doctors prescribed dozens of drugs that Whiter says nearly ruined his life. He credited marijuana with helping him recover.
"I was in such a bad place and I'm not there anymore. And I want to help other veterans get to where I am now," he told WPMT.
With Pennsylvania's newest law, medical marijuana is now legal in 24 states and Washington, D.C. But VA doctors still can't officially recommend cannabis to patients since pot is illegal at the federal level.
Patients who do get access to marijuana in Pennsylvania won't be able to smoke it. Instead, they'll have to use a pill, oil, ointment or vaporizer. Lawmakers said it could take up to two years before the state's marijuana system is up and running.
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