PA: County Bypassed For Medical Marijuana Dispensary

Katelyn Baker

Well-Known Member
Lawrence County residents who receive prescriptions for medical marijuana may have to travel to have them filled.

Pennsylvania's medical marijuana program became effective on May 17, and is expected to be fully implemented by 2018. The program will offer medical marijuana to patients who are residents of Pennsylvania and under a physician's care for the treatment of a serious medical condition.

For the first phase of the program, the state Department of Health has created six medical marijuana regions, among which will be divided 27 dispensary sites. Applications for those dispensaries, as well as for growers/processors, are to be available starting Jan. 17. Permit applications will be accepted from February 20 until March 20.

Lawrence countians, though, need not apply. The county sits in Region 6, for which only Erie and McKean counties have been approved to host dispensaries. The nearest main dispensary will be in Butler County, a Region 5 member that has been approved for one dispensary permit.

However, during a briefing with Pennsylvania Health Secretary Karen Murphy in Harrisburg, the director of the state's Office of Medical Marijuana, John Collins, explained that each approved dispensary will be permitted two secondary locations. These locations, he said, cannot be in the same county as the main dispensary, but must be in the same geographic region.

Although just 27 dispensary permits are planned for the program's initial phase, state law allows up to 50, which could mean up to 150 dispensaries when secondary locations are included.

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News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: County Bypassed For Medical Marijuana Dispensary
Author: Staff
Contact: 724-654-6651
Photo Credit: Pennsylvania Department of Health
Website: New Castle News
 
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