Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine on Monday approved a recommendation to allow the sale of medical marijuana in leaf form.

Her decision means Pennsylvanians will soon be able to buy leaf medical marijuana for vaporization. The law forbids residents from smoking it.

“We anticipate dry leaf will be available in dispensaries later this summer,” Levine said during a news conference in Harrisburg.

She said dry leaf will be cheaper than other legal forms for patients.

“I had faith that Dr. Levine would do what was right for the patients,” said medical marijuana advocate Diana Briggs of Westmoreland County’s Washington Township. “This administration has proven they want to help all patients access this program.”

Briggs is a medical marijuana caregiver for her 17-year-old son, Ryan, who suffers from epilepsy.

A state medical marijuana advisory board voted last week to recommend allowing dried leaf marijuana into the market.

Levine also accepted the board’s recommendation to allow medical marijuana as a treatment for opioid abuse and agreed to expand the list of qualifying medical conditions from 17 to 21. She adopted a recommendation that children who need medical marijuana be certified by a pediatrician, but will delay its implementation. [Read more at Triblive.com]