Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf today announced the Pennsylvania Department of Health has approved AGRiMED Industries in Carmichaels, Greene County, to begin operations, bringing the statewide total to 11 grower/processors.
“Each week, we are making great strides in expanding our network where patients can get medical marijuana,” Governor Wolf said. “The approval of the eleventh grower/processor is another positive step forward. With the first medical marijuana dispensed just this week, we are pleased to see progress toward full program implementation continue.”
More than 19,600 patients have registered to participate in the medical marijuana program, with more than 5,000 certified by a physician. In the first week of medical marijuana sales, more than 1,300 patients have received medication from a dispensary. Eleven dispensaries have been approved to begin operations, with six of those starting sales.
“Our team is diligently working to inspect dispensaries so we can expand access to medication,” Acting Health Secretary and Physician General Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Each of these inspections ensures that all standards set out by the regulations and their facilities are met, and the sites are safe and secure. The program continues to work to provide operational locations to help get medical marijuana to patients.”
In order to become operational, the grower/processors and dispensaries have each undergone several inspections from the Department of Health. Each of the grower/processors are fully integrated with the seed-to-sale tracking system and are now able to begin accepting seeds and clones to grow medical marijuana.
Physicians continue to register to participate in the program. To date, 764 have registered and of those, 376 have competed the training to become certified practitioners.
The Medical Marijuana Program was signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf on April 17, 2016. Since that time, the department has:
- Completed the Safe Harbor temporary guidelines and Safe Harbor Letter application process, as well as approved more than 340 applications;
- Completed temporary regulations for growers/processors, dispensaries, physicians, patients, and laboratories, all which have been published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin;
- Issued permits to grower/processors and dispensaries;
- Developed the Medical Marijuana Physician Workgroup;
- Convened the Medical Marijuana Advisory Board;
- Approved five training providers for physician continuing-education;
- Approved three laboratories to test medication before it is delivered to patients;
- Launched registries for patients and caregivers, as well as physicians;
- Registered more than 19,600 patients for the program;
- Approved 11 dispensaries and 11 grower/processers to begin operations; and
- Continued to work with permittees to ensure they will be operational.
The Medical Marijuana Program became effective on May 17, 2016, and is expected to be fully implemented in 2018. The program offers medical marijuana to patients who are residents of Pennsylvania and under a practitioner’s care for the treatment of a serious medical condition as defined by the Medical Marijuana Law.
Questions about the Medical Marijuana Program can be emailed to RA-DHMedMarijuana@pa.gov. Information is also available at www.medicalmarijuana.pa.gov .
MEDIA CONTACTS:
J.J. Abbott, 717-783-1116
April Hutcheson, Health, 717-787-1783
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