Lebanon’s first medical marijuana dispensary to open soon
A medical marijuana dispensary in Lebanon, the dispensary will be located in the Mann Building at 815 Cumberland St. (Photo: Jeremy Long, Michael K. Dakota, Lebanon Daily News)
A company approved to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Lebanon announced approximately when the center will open Thursday, as well as the methods of consumption that will be available.
The center will open in mid first quarter 2018, a news release from Wellness Centers of PA said, which would make sometime in February a likely starting date.
The dispensary would sell vaporizer pens, sublingual tinctures, capsules, liquids and topical creams. All products will be produced in Pennsylvania and will meet state testing standards, the news release said.
Lebanon Wellness Center LLC was one of 27 entities approved in June to operate 52 medical marijuana dispensaries throughout the state. Parent company Wellness Centers of PA is based in Altoona and also plans to open dispensaries in Altoona, Dubois, Brookville, Bradford and Gettysburg in the first quarter of 2018.
The dispensary will be located in the Mann Building at 815 Cumberland St., said Geoff Rich of WebbMason Marketing, which is representing Wellness Centers of PA.
“We’re excited to open these dispensaries and get patients the help they need,” said Chief Medical Officer Dr. Glen Mesaros in Thursday’s news release from the company. “Our goal is to provide safe, compassionate and consistent care to patients all across Pennsylvania.”
Governor Tom Wolf signed legislation legalizing marijuana in Pennsylvania in April 2016 for a variety of medical conditions, including AIDS, autism, cancer, chronic pain and Crohn’s disease. The legislation legalized only non-smokeable forms of the substance.
In order to purchase medical marijuana, however, patients will still need a doctor to certify they have one of the 17 qualifying conditions. As of Nov. 1, there was only one doctor in Lebanon County approved to participate in the program.
The Wellness Centers of PA dispensaries will be staffed by state-licensed pharmacists and medial professionals trained “to the highest standards of compassion and professionalism,” the news release stated. Staff will guide patients to find a product that provides relief for their specific condition.
“We live and work in these communities and want these facilities to be a place where everyone feels welcome and safe,” said Chief Executive Officer Robert Kemp in the news release.
The company will also be holding an educational forum for the community from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 19 at Hebron Fire Hall at 701 E. Walnut St. in Lebanon. The forum will include discussions of the uses of medical marijuana and cannabinoids, methods of consumption, safety and side-effects, how to get your Pennsylvania medical marijuana card, and the dispensary experience. There will also be a question-and-answer session.
People interested in attending are asked to RSVP by emailing Mesaros at gmesaros@gmail.com.
This story is part of a partnership between WITF and Lebanon Daily News.
Brett Sholtis was a health reporter for WITF/Transforming Health until early 2023. Sholtis is the 2021-2022 Reveal Benjamin von Sternenfels Rosenthal Grantee for Mental Health Investigative Journalism with the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism. His award-winning work on problem areas in mental health policy and policing helped to get a woman moved from a county jail to a psychiatric facility. Sholtis is a University of Pittsburgh graduate and a Pennsylvania Army National Guard Kosovo campaign veteran.
