(1) Patients suffering from serious medical conditions deserve the benefit of research conducted in conjunction with the Commonwealth's medical schools to determine whether medical marijuana will improve their conditions or symptoms.

(2) The Commonwealth has an interest in creating a mechanism whereby the Commonwealth's medical schools and hospitals can help develop research programs and studies in compliance with applicable law.

(1) It is the intention of the General Assembly to create a mechanism whereby this Commonwealth's medical schools and hospitals may provide advice to grower/processors and dispensaries in the areas of patient health and safety, medical applications and dispensing and management of controlled substances, among other areas. It is the further intention of the General Assembly to create a mechanism whereby the Commonwealth may encourage research associated with medical marijuana.

(2) It is the policy of the Commonwealth to allow, in addition to the 25 grower/processors and 50 dispensaries initially authorized under section 616,¹ the operation of additional grower/processors and dispensaries which will be approved by the department as clinical registrants. A clinical registrant is a grower/processor and a dispensary which has a contractual relationship with a medical school that operates or partners with a hospital to provide advice about medical marijuana so that patient safety may be enhanced.