On April 5, 2018, Phase 2 of the PA Department of Health’s permitting for commercial medical marijuana cultivation and dispensary operations will begin.
13 Grower/Processor permits will be available, two in each of the six DOH regions, and the 13th going to the highest scorer. 23 Dispensary permits will be available, nine in Region 1, three in Regions 2 and 3, two in Regions 4 and 6, and four in Region 5. Applications will be available online at www.medicalmarijuana.pa.gov on April 5, and the submission deadline will be May 17.
In June 2017, 12 Grower/Processor and 27 Dispensary permits were granted. According to April Hutcheson of DOH:
- 25,573 patients have registered to participate in the PA program;
- 9,020 patient certifications have issued;
- 7,000 of those patients have purchased their ID cards;
- 6,683 patients have bought medical marijuana in a PA dispensary;
- 866 physicians have been registered to participate in the program; and
- 473 of the registered physicians have been approved.
Given the very real possibility that PA will approve the use of dry flower products, i.e., smoking and edibles, this summer, the PA market is positioned for strong performance over the next few years.