The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has given approval to a Senate-passed bill allowing all licensed medical marijuana grower-processors in the state to directly sell their cannabis products to patients. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Chris Gebhard (R), would permit the state’s 10 independent marijuana grower-processors to apply for dispensary permits to engage in direct commerce with patients. In return, the state’s four independent dispensaries could obtain grower permits to cultivate products in-house. The move aims to address the near-monopoly created by the current law, which limits the number of businesses licensed for marijuana growing, leading to dominance by select out-of-state operators. The bill now returns to the Senate for concurrence. While the legislation doesn’t include adult-use legalization or personal cultivation for medical marijuana patients, there is growing anticipation that Pennsylvania may eventually permit recreational sales. The bill could generate nearly $2 million in revenue from application and permit fees, with an estimated annual revenue of about $90,000 for subsequent fiscal years.
By FCCT Editorial Team