Pennsylvania has fully approved its first medical marijuana grower.
Earlier this week, the state gave final approval to Cresco Yeltrah, which will operate out of a 40,000-plus-square-foot cultivation facility in Brookeville, Jefferson County.
The Illinois-based company was the first to pass several inspections from the state Department of Healthm and can now begin planting marijuana seeds.
Cresco says it will use the Brookeville facility to grow more than 30 different genetic strains of pharmaceutical-grade marijuana, available in the form of high CBD strains, vapor oils, transdermal patches, and pills.
In a statement, Cresco’s co-founder Charlie Bachtell said “providing relief to patients across the state as quickly as possible is our focus.”
“We’re very pleased to be the first company in Pennsylvania to produce medical marijuana,” he added.
Cresco will sell its products at medical marijuana dispensaries in Butler County, Pittsburgh, and a soon-to-be-announced third location. The company estimates that products will be available in early 2018.
Gov. Tom Wolf celebrated Cresco’s approval this week.
“Every day we hear from patients who are desperately waiting for medical marijuana to help alleviate the symptoms of their serious medical conditions,” Wolf said in a statement. “My message to them today is that Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program is moving forward, and we will have medication to them sometime in 2018. Cresco Yeltrah will now be able to grow medical marijuana, making sure that patients will not have to wait much longer.”
credit:phillymag.com
