The Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg lit to celebrate the passing of medical marijuana legislation in 2016.
Credit: PA Internet News Service
As of the end of the year, the Pennsylvania Department of Health will have 10,135 patients registered to participate in the medical marijuana program.
Of the more than 10,000 patients registered, 1,188 have been certified by a physician to participate in the medical marijuana program, according to officials.
Across the state, 550 doctors have registered to participate in the program and just under 250 have completed their practitioner certification.
Gov. Tom Wolf’s office said patients have begun to receive marijuana identification cards, growers and processors are beginning operations and dispensaries are nearing their openings.
The Pennsylvania medical marijuana law that was approved in 2016 allows people with 17 medical conditions, including cancer, PTSD and autism, to use medicines derived from marijuana. Under the law, patients suffering from one of the qualifying conditions will be able to access marijuana processed pill, ointment, patch and oil form products that will be for sale with orders from a doctor. Leafy marijuana material will not be sold at dispensaries.
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Patients and caregivers interested in the medical marijuana program should talk to their doctor, confirm their address on their state-issued identification or driver’s license is correct and designate a caregiver, state officials said. Patients and caregivers can register to participate in the medical marijuana program online.
The state has approved eight grower and processors to begin operations:
- Cresco Yeltrah, Jefferson County
- Franklin Labs, Berks County
- GTI Pennsylvania, Montour County
- Ilera Healthcare, Fulton County
- Pennsylvania Medical Solutions, Lackawanna County
- PurePenn LLC, Allegheny County
- Standard Farms, Luzerne County
- Terrapin Investment Fund, Clinton County
“We have four grower/processors in the final stages of their inspection process,” Acting Health Secretary and Physician General Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We have been working with them to make sure they are meeting all of the standards set out by the regulations and their facilities are safe and secure. At this time, we do not foresee any issues with the remaining facilities that would prevent them from becoming operational.”
Growers and processors have undergone inspections from the state and take part in a seed-to-sale tracking system.
A medical marijuana dispensary has been approved and is under construction along Durham Road in Bristol Township.
The governor’s office said the medical marijuana program will be fully implemented in the new year.
