After months of waiting, Pennsylvania’s first ever medical marijuana dispensary has opened in the Lehigh Valley area. Keystone Canna Remedies is in the small town of Bethlehem, PA and now is officially permitted to begin selling medicinal marijuana to eligible patients who possess medical cards.
“Welcome to the 21st Century,” said Tony Iannelli, CEO and president of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce following the dispensary’s grand opening.
However, the dispensary, although technically open. will not begin selling medicals until February. It is presently open to the public for consultations as well as educational workshops for the meantime. When the dispensary does begin retailing products, consumers will have a variety to choose from.
Due to Pennsylvania’s state laws, flowers and edibles will not be available for purchase. However, consumers will be able to choose from many other options such as
vaporizers, oil cartridges, tinctures and even lotions. Customers will also be able to customize their orders to echo their personal preferences by choosing products that contain strictly THC, CBD, or both.
Victor Guadagnino Jr., founder of the dispensary along with his father, Dr. Victor Guadagnino, and aunt, Joan Guadagnino, praised how the state of Pennsylvania and Governor Tom Wolf have handled the initiation of a medical marijuana program in the state. It was also added that Wolf’s open-minded mentality regarding medical marijuana is a key part as to why they chose Pennsylvania as the foundation of their business.
“Pennsylvania and the Department of Health has been doing it right,” said Guadagnino Jr. “The state is setting the standard for how other states should implement medical marijuana programs.”
Although the timing of the opening of Pennsylvania’s first medical marijuana dispensary comes at a time of uncertainty as Attorney General Jeff Sessions has waged war with the marijuana industry, the Guadagninos believe that the state will do as much as it can to protect their business.
“We believe that the state will protect us,” said Guadagnino Jr. “I’m not worried because we’re focused on getting the patients access. When people can see the benefits cannabis can have, I think there is going to be a lot of change at the national level.”
The father, Guadagnino Sr, acting chief of business development, also believes his family’s efforts will open new doors for patients that struggle to find the correct treatment to battle their illnesses.
“It means there’s going to be safe and effective access to a new medicine that can help in a wide variety of ways,” he said.
Governor Tom Wolf believes that the Guadagnino’s dispensary should serve as a catalyst for other dispensaries to enter the market.
“We are one step closer to providing medical marijuana to patients with serious medical conditions who desperately need this medication,” Wolf said. Wolf also added that e will do his best “to protect Pennsylvania patients,” from federal interference.
Presently, there have been more than 10,000 applications to obtain medical marijuana license and around 1,200 have already been approved by a licensed physician.
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