Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana industry doubled last year—adding more treatable conditions, doctors who can could prescribe the medication, and distributers, growers and processors to get that medicine to patients.

Pennsylvanians permitted to buy medical marijuana may be more likely to stop taking the medicine because of its cost and the inability to find a consistent supply of the same strain, according to a recent survey by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

In Pennsylvania, four laboratories are often the last line of defense between the medical marijuana manufacturer and the consumer. And those labs’ role in public safety is becoming more apparent in light of the rise in lung-injury cases connected to the use of cannabis-based products in e-cigarette and vaping products. As of October 15, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that cases of lung injury among vape and e-cigarette users had killed 33 people and injured 1,479.

While banned for decades, passage of the 2018 Farm Bill allowed farmers to return an historic crop to their fields – hemp. More importantly, it made it legal for banking institutions to loan money to hemp-related businesses. But few have chosen to do so.

Cannabis entrepreneurs face financial and legal challenges when securing real estate. For cannabis entrepreneurs, finding a place to operate their business presents considerable challenges amidst the uncertainty surrounding the legality of cannabis. It’s an industry rife with risk, but also opportunities.

Organic Remedies Inc., based in the Harrisburg region, is officially opening a new medical marijuana dispensary on Oct. 24 in Springettsbury Township.

Harvest of Northwest PA in New Castle and Harvest of North Central PA in Shamokin, have voluntarily given up their medical marijuana dispensary permits in order to allow the dispensaries’ parent company, Tempe, Arizona-based Harvest Health & Recreation, to move forward with the opening of four other Harvest dispensaries around Pennsylvania, one of which is in Harrisburg.

While the Pennsylvania Legislature voted to legalize medical marijuana in August 2016, lawmakers did very little to provide guidance for businesses and schools that now struggle with how to deal with employees and students who have been prescribed medical marijuana.

Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana industry has made $350 million in sales since the state’s first dispensary opened in February 2018, nearly tripling in five months.

It’s evident the cannabis industry is growing, thriving and impacting the economy in ways we have only just begun to comprehend. Last month, the York County Economic Alliance hosted our Economics Club breakfast series on the economics of the cannabis industry, featuring two industry leaders, Green Thumb Industries and Groff North America.

A Montgomery County-based medical marijuana certification clinic’s new Harrisburg office will allow for more patients and services when it opens next week.

Anxiety disorders and Tourette syndrome have been approved by the state as conditions eligible for medical marijuana treatment starting on July 20.

A medical marijuana dispensary planning to open in Harrisburg this year will be looking at how it can contribute to its community as it moves into one of the city’s historic fire stations.

Penn State College of Medicine is hoping to start studying medical marijuana as soon as possible under a 10-year partnership with one of the first companies approved to take part in Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana research program