Medical marijuana programs are gaining momentum across the country. Yet, while Pennsylvania just became the twenty-fourth state with a comprehensive medical marijuana program, the District of Columbia is working to roll back patients' rights and criminalize consumption.

In a matter of days Pennsylvania is expected to become the 24th state to legalize medical marijuana. That leaves many wondering how it will work.

The use of medical marijuana in Pennsylvania isn't something that we will see come to life for another year and a half.

Governor Tom Wolf is expected to sign the medical marijuana bill into law on Sunday.

There are 17 medical conditions that medical marijuana will be legally used to treat including epilepsy, cancer, MS and PTSD.

Patients will need a recommendation from a physician who is registered with the state and trained. Then that patient will need to be issued a medical marijuana card from the state, that will allow them to get the drug from one of 50 dispensaries throughout Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania legalizes medical marijuana today after lawmakers gave the state’s groundbreaking bill its final round of votes.

After bouncing around between the Senate and the House over the past few months, the final version of the bill received the last round of votes it needed earlier this afternoon.

Yesterday, the Pennsylvania Senate voted 42-7 in favor of the bill. And today, the Pennsylvania House gave it another overwhelmingly positive vote of 149-46.

Now that it’s officially been passed by both sets of lawmakers, the bill is being given to Governor Tom Wolf to be signed into law.

As Pennsylvania legalizes medical marijuana, it becomes the 24th state in the U.S. to do so.

From Maine to Miami, supporters of the cannabis movement are going to pass a torch symbolically shaped as a joint to garner support and show a united front in the fight to legalize marijuana.

It’s organized by the East Coast Cannabis Coalition (ECCC) and the so-called Unity Cypher begins its journey in Portland, Maine on April 14th, making  stops in NH, CT, NY, NJ, PA, DE, ME, DC, VA, NC, SC, GA, and FL. Along the way, organizers promise an appearance (and great photo op) at the United National General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) in New York City on April 19 and the National Cannabis Festival in Washington D.C. on April 23.

By the end of this year, several more states in the U.S. could be among those who have legalized cannabis for medical and recreational purposes. Of course, their success is up to the activists and voters in each state. If you’re in one of these states, here is what you need to know.

States where recreational legalization is on the ballot: Nevada

States where medical legalization is on the ballot: Florida

States where activists are going through the legislature or attempting to make the ballot for recreational or medical legalization: California, Vermont, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan, Rhode Island, Maine, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Utah, Arkansas

Long Shots

A bill to legalize medical marijuana in Pennsylvania passed through the House and is under review by the Senate. You can read about ithere.

The legality of cannabis by state varies, but suffice to say Pennsylvania remains in the minority of 11 states that haven’t legalized any form of the cannabis plant. A poll in Octoberindicated that 90 percent of Pennsylvanians favor medical cannabis prescribed through a doctor.

The fate of legislation to legalize medical use of marijuana in Pennsylvania is in the hands of the state Senate - and lawmakers there have questions.

The legislation, Senate Bill 3, passed the House of Representatives March 16 on a 149-43 vote.

The Senate has two options – vote on the bill as it is and send it to the governor, or make additional amendments and send it back to the House for a second vote, said Fred Sembach, chief of staff for Sen. Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon).

Senators are questioning whether the bill can be implemented as passed by the House, Sembach said.

A growing number of states are weighing whether to legalize marijuana to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. But for many veterans, the debate is already over.

They’re increasingly using cannabis even though it remains illegal in most states and is unapproved by the Department of Veterans Affairs because major studies have yet to show it is effective against PTSD.

While the research has been contradictory and limited, some former members of the military say pot helps them manage their anxiety, insomnia and nightmares. Prescription drugs such as Klonopin and Zoloft weren’t effective or left them feeling like zombies, some say.

Michelle Vermeulen's 4-year-old daughter Ava started suffering from epilepsy at 4 weeks old. The York Township family tried multiple medications to treat the seizures and found a medication that worked for a while.

"Her form of epilepsy does not respond well to medication," Vermeulen said. "The biggest side effect of the medications is that it causes permanent vision loss, causing a kind of tunnel vision. It's irreversible."

After about six months, though, the seizures came back. Then 7-month-old Ava had a hemispherectomy, removing the right side of her brain. Vermeulen said you'd never know because she's walking and talking like other kids.

Pennsylvania's Medical Marijuana Act cleared the House on Wednesday, but that doesn't mean dispensaries will start popping up in York County next week.

Legislation making the Keystone State the 24th to legalize the drug could take affect as early as April. But even after that people could be waiting another 18 months before they are able to access the drug.

Here's a look at what to expect between now and October 2017, assuming the bill becomes law.

Dotting the I's