In 2019, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration told addiction treatment grant recipients they couldn’t use federal funding to “purchase, prescribe, or provide marijuana or treatment using marijuana.”

In January 2020, the agency clarified its new rules to clear up apparent confusion: Providers could still treat people who used medical marijauana for substance use or mental health disorders.

But in manuals for county drug and alcohol offices that took effect in July 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs included the original, confusing language about the marijuana funding ban without the clarifying guidance. Many county drug and alcohol offices in Pennsylvania continued operating as if they couldn’t spend federal money to serve those medical marjuana card-holders.

In 2019, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration told addiction treatment grant recipients they couldn’t use federal funding to “purchase, prescribe, or provide marijuana or treatment using marijuana.”

In January 2020, the agency clarified its new rules to clear up apparent confusion: Providers could still treat people who used medical marijauana for substance use or mental health disorders.

But in manuals for county drug and alcohol offices that took effect in July 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs included the original, confusing language about the marijuana funding ban without the clarifying guidance. Many county drug and alcohol offices in Pennsylvania continued operating as if they couldn’t spend federal money to serve those medical marjuana card-holders.

In 2019, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration told addiction treatment grant recipients they couldn’t use federal funding to “purchase, prescribe, or provide marijuana or treatment using marijuana.”

In January 2020, the agency clarified its new rules to clear up apparent confusion: Providers could still treat people who used medical marijauana for substance use or mental health disorders.

But in manuals for county drug and alcohol offices that took effect in July 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs included the original, confusing language about the marijuana funding ban without the clarifying guidance. Many county drug and alcohol offices in Pennsylvania continued operating as if they couldn’t spend federal money to serve those medical marjuana card-holders.