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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's Department of Health expects to begin working soon with physicians from health systems and professional organizations as it writes medical marijuana program regulations. Secretary of Health Karen Murphy said Tuesday that her department also will seek guidance from the physicians on carrying out the medical marijuana law's research program. Under the law, a research program to study medical marijuana's impact on the treatment and symptom management of serious medical conditions must be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration. After that, the department would select one or more health systems to conduct it. The law also requires that physicians who prescribe medical marijuana be trained and licensed. The department says it'll take until early 2018 to make medical marijuana available to eligible patients.

Medical marijuana program will tap input from physicians