Lebanon to get a medical marijuana dispensary

HARRISBURG - A local company has received the go-ahead to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Lebanon.

Lebanon Wellness Center LLC was among 27 entities Pennsylvania state regulators tabbed to operate dispensaries Thursday under the state’s new medical marijuana law, a program expected to be up and running next year.

The entities that were issued permits will have six months to become operational and can begin providing the drug to patients.

Lebanon Wellness Center’s main office will be based in Altoona, in Blair County, according to a state Department of Health news release. The Lebanon location at 847 Cumberland St. and a site in Gettysburg were included as other locations for Lebanon Wellness.

The Health Department said not all of them are currently opting to run three locations, so for now there will be 52 dispensaries scattered around the state.

The agency posted online the winners’ applications and the locations where they will operate.

Also in the Southcentral region, which includes Lebanon, dispensaries are slated for Steelton in Dauphin County; Hanover, in York County; and Enola, in Cumberland County.

Office of Medical Marijuana director John Collins said the process was competitive, with hundreds of quality applicants.

A Health Department spokeswoman said they will start to implement the business plans they outlined in their applications, addressing aspects of operations such as security, transportation and employee background checks.

The state government will conduct inspections.

Last week, the state awarded permits to 12 applicants to grow and process medical marijuana.

The Pennsylvania medical marijuana law allows people who suffer from a list of conditions to obtain the drug as pills, vapor, ointment or liquid, but not in smokeable form.

The state expects patients and caregivers to be able to register in September.

Christopher Feaver contributed to this report.