Dry leaf medical marijuana coming to Pennsylvania dispensaries next week
Dry leaf medical marijuana likely will be for sale soon at some Pennsylvania dispensaries — and Solevo Wellness in Squirrel Hill plans to be among them.
According to Gov. Tom Wolf’s office, dry leaf or flower marijuana will be available at about a dozen dispensaries starting Wednesday, with more dispensaries receiving it over the next few weeks.
Samuel Britz, CEO of Solevo Wellness, said he couldn’t confirm the date dry leaf marijuana would be available in Squirrel Hill because the state Department of Health has yet to officially announce the beginning of the program. But he said the product will be available on the “first day” it is permitted.
“Solevo will be one of the first dispensaries in the program, and the city of Pittsburgh, to have dry leaf,” he said.
The store will be supplied by several grower/processors and is expecting to have plenty of inventory, he said.
“Supply will not be a problem,” he said.
Until now, medical marijuana in the state could only be sold in more heavily processed forms, like tinctures, pills and vaporizable concentrates.
Dry leaf marijuana will be cheaper than other legal marijuana products, Britz said, though he said he could not provide a price estimate.
The law prohibits patients from smoking dry leaf marijuana. It must be vaporized.
The state approved the sale of dry leaf marijuana in April but did not set a date when sales could begin.
“Gov. Wolf believes that the introduction of dry leaf will mean more options and lower costs for many consumers and demonstrates Pennsylvania’s commitment to maximize the impact, accessibility and benefits of our medical marijuana program for patients in need,” Wolf spokesman J.J. Abbott said.
McKeesport medical marijuana grower PurePenn announced this week it will build a 6,000-square-foot expansion, including a greenhouse, and double its workforce over the next year to focus on growing dry leaf marijuana.
Wolf signed a medical marijuana bill into law in April 2016. Dispensaries opened in February.
Under state law, patients can apply for a state-issued medical marijuana card if a doctor certifies they have one of 21 qualifying medical conditions, including epilepsy, cancer, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis and seizure disorders.
Jacob Tierney is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jacob at 724-836-6646, jtierney@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Soolseem.
