How much you can have: a 90-day supply
A Pennsylvania dispensary may provide a patient or caregiver with up to a 90-day supply of individual doses. During the last seven days of any 30-day period, a patient may obtain the next 90-day supply. The 90-day figure comes from Act 44 of 2021, which amended the Medical Marijuana Act.
Two smaller rules travel with the supply. Unused medical marijuana has to stay in its original package, and you must carry your Department of Health ID card whenever you have medical marijuana with you. If you are ever asked, the labeled package and the card are what connect the product to you as a registered patient.
The forms the law allows
The statute lists the forms dispensaries may sell:
- pills
- oils
- topical forms, including gels, creams and ointments
- forms suitable for vaporization or nebulization
- tinctures
- liquids
- dry leaf or plant form (flower), for vaporization
Flower was not part of the original program. It became an acceptable form effective May 17, 2018, and the Department of Health's 2022 report says it reached dispensaries in August 2018.
Smoking is illegal everywhere
The Medical Marijuana Act makes it unlawful to smoke medical marijuana. There is no exception for private homes. Flower is legal only in a form meant to be vaporized, which heats the plant material without burning it. Our guide to vaping versus smoking under Pennsylvania law explains the distinction in practical terms.
Beyond the smoking ban, the law does not permit possession or use in state or county correctional facilities or youth detention facilities. Rules for schools and day-care centers are left to the Departments of Education and Human Services. We found no broader public-consumption rule in the act, so treat any use in public with caution.
Edibles: none for sale, but you may mix your own
Dispensaries may not sell edibles. The law does allow patients and caregivers to mix medical marijuana into food or drink to help with ingestion. The practical difference is who does the mixing: the dispensary sells an oil, tincture or liquid, and you add it to food at home. Our page on edibles for Pennsylvania patients covers how to do that sensibly.
No home growing
It is unlawful to grow medical marijuana in Pennsylvania without a grower/processor permit from the Department of Health. A patient card does not change that. Everything a patient may legally buy comes from a permitted grower/processor through a licensed dispensary; as of March 1, 2026, the Department counted 30 operating grower/processors.
Keep the dispensary label on everything you buy. It is the simplest proof that your medicine came through the legal supply chain.
Machinery, utilities and the workplace
The act sets one specific number. A patient may not operate or be in physical control of regulated chemicals, or of high-voltage electricity or other public utilities, while having more than 10 nanograms of active THC per milliliter of blood serum. Employers may also bar patients from duties at heights or in confined spaces, and from tasks that are life-threatening or put public safety at risk, while under the influence. The broader rules are on our page about medical marijuana and your job.
Driving
Pennsylvania has long applied zero-tolerance DUI rules to marijuana, and reporting in 2023 said registered patients could be charged over any detectable amount. The Medical Marijuana Act itself contains no driving exemption. We could not confirm whether any reform has passed since, so check current law, and do not drive after using medical marijuana.
What the card protects
A registered patient is not subject to arrest, prosecution or discipline by a licensing board solely for lawful use of medical marijuana. In a child custody proceeding, a court may not consider the certification alone. The words "solely" and "alone" set the limits: conduct beyond lawful use is not protected. The card also does not make adult use legal for anyone else; our page on marijuana's legal status in Pennsylvania explains where that debate stands.
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 →Rules being tested in court
Two regulations are tied up in litigation, according to the Department. On March 17, 2026, Commonwealth Court temporarily barred the Department from enforcing a rule as it applies to vaporization products with added botanically derived terpenes. Separately, a lab-testing rule remains on hold while Green Analytics North v. Department of Health is back before Commonwealth Court, which issued a scheduling order on April 28, 2026. Neither case changes what a patient may possess.
Your next step: before your first purchase, read our dispensary guide so you know what to bring and what you will find on the shelves.
Questions people ask
Can I move my medicine into a different container?
The Medical Marijuana Act says unused medical marijuana must be kept in its original package, and you must carry your ID card whenever you possess it.
What is the 10 ng/ml rule?
A patient may not operate or be in physical control of regulated chemicals, or of high-voltage electricity or other public utilities, while having more than 10 nanograms of active THC per milliliter of blood serum.
Can I use medical marijuana in a correctional facility?
No. The law does not permit possession or use in state or county correctional facilities or in youth detention facilities.
Worth reading next
Sources
- Medical Marijuana Act (Act 16 of 2016), PA General Assembly
- Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program, PA Department of Health
- Medical Marijuana Program Announcements, PA Department of Health
- PA DOH Office of Medical Marijuana Report, July 2022 (PDF)
- WHYY/Spotlight PA: 5 ways Pa.'s marijuana laws could change in 2023 (February 13, 2023)
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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.