These instructions are for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) patients to learn more about medical marijuana and CHOP’s policy on the use of medical marijuana.

Important information:

What is medical marijuana?

Marijuana comes from the leaves and flowers of the marijuana plant. It is easily abused and there is very little information about how to use it safely. Marijuana plants contain over 100 chemicals. These chemicals may affect pleasure, memory, thinking, concentration, body movement, awareness of time, appetite, and pain. As a result, some people recommend medical marijuana to help manage some serious medical conditions.

What are the risks?

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate medical marijuana products. This means that we cannot be sure about the quality, safety and effectiveness of the product. Side effects of marijuana include blurry vision, changes in heart rate and blood pressure, changes in mood, decreased coordination, dizziness, dry eyes, dry mouth, headaches, light-headedness, trouble thinking clearly, decreased coordination, hallucinations, heart attack, memory loss, seizures, and stroke. The risk of temporarily stopping use of medical marijuana is unknown.

CHOP’s policy on the use of medical marijuana:

Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and other states have approved the use of medical marijuana and it may be appropriate for managing certain medical conditions. The CHOP pharmacy cannot supply, store, or handle medical marijuana. If your child is using medical marijuana and you believe they should continue to receive medical marijuana during their admission or treatment at CHOP, we will ask you to review the information in this document and discuss any questions with your healthcare provider.

Instructions for use of medical marijuana brought from home:

• You must show us that you obtained the product legally in order to manage one of the serious medical conditions listed below.
• You must provide evidence that the relevant authorities from your home state have approved the use of medical marijuana for your child’s specific medical condition.
• The product must be a formulation approved for use by law and by CHOP policy.  Please speak with your healthcare provider about approved formulations of medical marijuana.
• You will be responsible for giving the medical marijuana to your child.
• You must notify your child’s nurse when you give the medical marijuana so the nurse can observe and document the administration of the medical marijuana.
• You must keep the medical marijuana with you at all times.
• When your child is discharged, you must take the medical marijuana home with you.
• If you will not be giving your child medical marijuana during their treatment at CHOP, you must take the product home.
• If you leave the medical marijuana at a CHOP facility after your child’s treatment is complete, the CHOP Security Department will get rid of it safely.
• If your child’s healthcare provider agrees that you can continue to give your child medical marijuana during their treatment, you will be required to sign a form stating you agree with and understand the above information.  This form also includes a waiver and release.

Serious medical conditions

• Cancer, including remission therapy
• Positive status for human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Parkinson's disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity
• Epilepsy
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Neuropathies
• Huntington's disease
• Crohn's disease
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Intractable seizures
• Glaucoma
• Sickle cell anemia
• Severe chronic or intractable pain of neuropathic origin or severe chronic or intractable pain in which conventional therapeutic intervention and opiate therapy is contraindicated or ineffective
• Autism
• Neurodegenerative diseases
• Terminal illness
• Dyskinetic and spastic movement disorders
• 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
• Anxiety Disorders
• Tourette Syndrome

Questions

If you have any questions about the safety and effectiveness of medical marijuana, please ask your child’s healthcare team.

If you have any questions about your child’s health, please contact your child’s healthcare provider. This document is intended only to provide general educational information and is not intended as medical advice or treatment. Please consult with your healthcare provider prior to use, as some of this information may need to be adapted for your child’s specific needs. It is the responsibility of your healthcare provider to advise you on the appropriate use of this information. If you/your child are not already a CHOP patient, this document does not create a doctor-patient relationship between you/your child and CHOP. CHOP is not responsible for any outcomes you/your child might experience from your use of this document. This document is provided "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, express or implied. If this document refers to any drugs or medical devices, it is the responsibility of your healthcare provider to check the FDA status prior to use. If this document includes references to drug dosing, please do not rely on this document. Your healthcare provider should check the package insert for each drug before use. Hyperlinks used within this document may not be translated into other languages.

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