Opioid use disorder on Pennsylvania's medical marijuana list
Of all 24 entries on Pennsylvania's list, opioid use disorder carries the most qualifying language. The condition was added effective May 17, 2018, and the official wording limits it to specific circumstances. Understanding that wording is the first step before raising it with a physician.
The exact words, and how to read them
The Department of Health's entry reads: "Opioid use disorder for which conventional therapeutic interventions are contraindicated or ineffective, or for which adjunctive therapy is indicated in combination with primary therapeutic interventions."
That sentence describes three situations:
- The usual treatments are contraindicated, meaning they are not advisable for you for medical reasons.
- The usual treatments are ineffective, meaning they have been tried and have not worked for you.
- Adjunctive therapy is indicated, meaning medical marijuana would be used alongside your primary treatment, in combination with it, not instead of it.
A diagnosis of opioid use disorder alone does not fit the entry. The physician has to find that one of those three situations applies.
Why your treatment team belongs in the conversation
The third situation, adjunctive therapy, assumes there is a primary treatment already in place. That makes the clinicians who provide it central to the decision. Before an evaluation, talk with the clinician who manages your opioid use disorder treatment, and bring records that show what you have tried and how it went.
Only an MD or DO registered with the Department of Health can certify you. Your treating clinician may or may not be registered; if not, the certifying physician will rely on your records. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants cannot certify, even when they prescribe your primary treatment.
Do not stop or change any medication for opioid use disorder on your own. Any change belongs in a plan made with the clinician who prescribes it.
How the certification works
A registered physician evaluates you, in person or through real-time audio or video under Act 44 of 2021, and decides whether to certify you for this entry and any other listed condition that applies. A certification can list up to 10 conditions. If you also live with long-term pain, that has its own entry; our chronic pain guide covers it. The online evaluation guide explains remote visits.
Need a physician certification?
Online evaluations are available for Pennsylvania residents. Code DRWDY85872 takes 5% off. The physician, not the booking service, decides whether you are certified.
Book my PA evaluation →Forms the law allows
Pennsylvania dispensaries may sell pills, oils, tinctures, liquids, topical forms, forms for vaporization or nebulization, and flower for vaporization. Smoking is illegal, and dispensaries sell no edibles. Which form, if any, fits alongside your existing treatment is a question for the physician and your treatment team. Dispensing is capped at a 90-day supply of individual doses, and unused product must stay in its original package; the patient rules page has the full set.
What the research says
Research on cannabis in the context of opioid use disorder is early and mixed. Some studies suggest possible benefits for certain people, for example in managing some withdrawal symptoms or as part of a broader treatment plan, while others find no benefit or raise concerns. There is no settled conclusion. Medical marijuana is not established as a standalone treatment for opioid use disorder, and Pennsylvania's entry is written around existing treatment rather than in place of it.
Safety
Combining substances that affect alertness can raise risks. Tell every prescriber you see that you are certified, and ask about interactions with the medications you take. Pennsylvania has long applied zero-tolerance DUI rules to marijuana, and the medical law has no driving exemption, so check current law and do not drive after using. Store products in their original packages, away from children.
Next steps
Start with a conversation with the clinician who treats your opioid use disorder. If an adjunctive or alternative approach seems worth exploring, review the full conditions list, open a registry account with your Pennsylvania ID and book a registered physician. The application guide covers the payment deadline and what follows.
Questions people ask
Does medical marijuana replace treatment for opioid use disorder?
The Pennsylvania entry does not describe it that way. It covers cases where conventional treatment is contraindicated or ineffective, or where adjunctive therapy is indicated in combination with primary treatment.
When was opioid use disorder added?
Effective May 17, 2018, according to the Department of Health's 2022 program report, as part of a group of additions that also included terminal illness and neurodegenerative diseases.
Who decides whether I fit the entry?
A physician registered with the Department of Health. Only MDs and DOs who have registered and completed the Department's training may certify patients in Pennsylvania.
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Sources
This page explains Pennsylvania law and Department of Health guidance in general terms; it is not medical or legal advice, and only a registered physician can certify a patient.