The two marijuana grower/processor licenses for the Philadelphia region have been awarded, and a facility in Bucks County is not in either companies’ plans.
The two companies who were awarded the marijuana grower/processor licenses for the region – made up of Bucks, Berks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery, Philadelphia and Schuylkill – plan to open facilities in Berks County.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Prime Wellness of Pennsylvania and and Franklin Labs won the marijuana grower/processor licenses.
Earlier this year, MLH Explorations LLC and PharmaCann LLC both expressed interest in using 150 Roebling (Solar) Road in Falls Township as a medical marijuana growing and processing facility. Neither of the two companies were among those awarded licenses this week.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Prime Wellness of Pennsylvania and and Franklin Labs are linked to Gov. Tom Wolf’s former policy advisor John Hanger and Chase Lenfest, the son of wealthy businessman Gerry Lenfest.
All 12 marijuana grower/processor license winners across the state will have six months to prepare their indoor growing and processing facilities before they can grown their first marijuana.
“The next step for the permit holders will be to ramp up their operations so they can prepare to grow medical marijuana,” said John Collins, director of the Office of Medical Marijuana. “Our teams will perform a series of site inspections before the locations can be certified as operational. Once that happens, the permittees will be able to begin growing and processing medical marijuana.”
No date has been set, but additional marijuana grower/processor licenses will be issued by the state.
Next week, the state will announce the winners of the first set of dispensary permits.
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The way Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana process works – leafy marijuana material will not be sold at dispensaries, but processed pill, oil or ointment form will be for sale with orders from a doctor.
The state said in a press release that medical marijuana products are set to be put up for sale as soon as early 2018.
In an effort to apply for a marijuana grower/processor licenses, applicants had to pay $10,000 for a chance to wiggle into what is expected to be a profitable, yet highly regulated, industry.
The $10,000 fee to the state does not include costs to secure a facility and draw up plans.
Applicants were chosen based on a 1,000-point scale put together by the state Department of Health.
“The applications from the entities receiving permits were objectively reviewed by an evaluation team made up of members from across commonwealth agencies. Any letters of recommendation or support for an applicant were not considered during the evaluation,” Collins said.
In total, 177 entities applied for marijuana grower/processor licenses and 280 for dispensaries.
Pennsylvania became the 24th state to legalize medical marijuana in 2016. The law, signed by the governor last April, will allow people with 17 medical conditions, including cancer, PTSD and autism, to use medicines derived from marijuana.
