State makes more medical marijuana dispensary licenses available

Companies that were unsuccessful in obtaining a license to grow or sell medical marijuana in Pennsylvania when the program was rolled out last year will have another chance this month.

The Department of Health plans to release 23 new dispensary permits and 13 new grower permits on Thursday as part of Phase II of the medical marijuana program.

That’s on top of the 12 grower/processor and 27 dispensary permits that were issued last year.

The medical marijuana program is open to patients who have been diagnosed with one or more of 17 conditions that were determined by the state Legislature.

The program does not allow dispensaries to sell actual marijuana flower, rather they sell a variety of pills, oils, ointments and material for vaporizers. The program divides the state into six regions. Dispensary permits are given based on population, while each region gets the same number of grower/processor permits.

Region 2 — Northeast, which includes Carbon, Monroe, Lehigh and Northampton counties, will receive two new grower permits and three new dispensary permits.

An additional grower/processor permit will be available to the most qualified applicant, regardless of the region where they are located.

Schuylkill County is located in Region 1 — Southeast, which includes Philadelphia and its suburbs. That region naturally gets the most dispensary permits — an additional nine in Phase II, bringing the total to 19.