Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Market and the Mandated Use of MJ Freeway

Since its inception in 2016, Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program has grown into one of the most robust in the country. With over 441,000 registered patients and more than 1,900 approved physicians participating in the program, the state has surpassed $1.3 billion in total cannabis sales. Behind this rapid expansion, however, lies a persistent challenge for operators: the state-mandated use of MJ Freeway as its compliance tracking system.

What is MJ Freeway?

MJ Freeway, a seed-to-sale software system developed by Akerna, serves as Pennsylvania’s official tracking platform for its medical marijuana industry. Required by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, MJ Freeway monitors the entire lifecycle of cannabis products—from cultivation and laboratory testing to distribution and patient sales. Every licensed grower, processor, and dispensary must use this system to ensure compliance with state regulations and real-time reporting.

Designed to promote accountability and transparency within the supply chain, MJ Freeway is supposed to give regulators full oversight of the market. But for many operators, this centralized system has created more friction than functionality.

Frustrations from the Field

Despite its intended purpose, MJ Freeway has been widely criticized by Pennsylvania cannabis businesses. Chief among the complaints is the software’s lack of a fully operational application programming interface (API). Without a functional API, MJ Freeway does not allow for seamless integration with many dispensary and cultivation software systems used by operators—forcing businesses to rely on manual data entry to comply with state reporting requirements.

This creates operational inefficiencies, increases the risk of human error, and requires dispensary staff to duplicate data between their POS systems and MJ Freeway. In a fast-paced, compliance-driven environment, this disconnect is more than a nuisance—it’s a risk to day-to-day operations and long-term scalability.

Legislative Response and Industry Pushback

Recognizing the growing concern, State Representative Joe McAndrew introduced a resolution in 2023 urging the Pennsylvania Department of Health to reassess its contract with MJ Freeway. The resolution specifically called for the state to fulfill requirements outlined in Act 44 of 2021, which mandates that the state’s tracking system support API integration with other cannabis software platforms.

So far, the Department of Health has reaffirmed its reliance on MJ Freeway, while acknowledging that improvements are in the works. However, no specific date has been provided for when full API functionality will be rolled out—leaving many operators in limbo and continuing to manually reconcile data between systems.

Looking Ahead

As Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana market continues to expand, the pressure is mounting for a more modern, efficient, and interoperable compliance system. MJ Freeway’s limitations are not only impacting business performance but also stalling innovation in areas like delivery logistics, customer experience, and real-time inventory control.

If Pennsylvania is to keep pace with evolving cannabis regulations and prepare for potential adult-use legalization, the infrastructure behind the market must be upgraded. Businesses need tools that streamline compliance, not complicate it.

Until MJ Freeway becomes fully integrated or is replaced by a more advanced alternative, the state’s cannabis operators will continue to juggle growth with outdated tech—and push for a system that truly supports the future of Pennsylvania cannabis.