First medical marijuana facility in Scranton approved by state to begin production
Governor Tom Wolf’s administration announced today that Pennsylvania Medical Solutions, a subsidiary of Vireo Health, has been approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Health to begin medical marijuana production in Scranton in the city’s first medical marijuana facility.
“We thank Governor Wolf and his administration for providing us with the opportunity to provide those patients suffering from chronic pain and other medical conditions with best-in-class medical cannabis products,” said Kyle Kingsley, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Pennsylvania Medical Solutions and its parent company Vireo Health.
“Working together with our partners in government and healthcare, we hope to make a real difference in people’s lives.”
Over the last few months, Pennsylvania Medical Solutions underwent multiple inspections from the Pennsylvania Department of Health to ensure that its state-of-the-art facility on Rosanna Avenue in Scranton’s Green Ridge section met all requirements. The Pennsylvania Medical Solutions team is comprised of qualified and experienced physicians, scientists, and horticulturists and will now focus on producing a wide array of medical cannabis products – including capsules, oral solutions, and pre-filled vaporization cartridges – in accordance with Pennsylvania’s regulations.
“As a socially responsible company, we believe it is our obligation to contribute to the economic development of the communities in which we operate,” said Ari Hoffnung, Chief Operating Officer of Pennsylvania Medical Solutions.
“We look forward to bringing new good-paying, quality jobs to Scranton and partnering with local community organizations and health care institutions.”
“Pennsylvania now has six grower/processors that are fully operational, bringing us one step closer to providing medical marijuana to patients,” Wolf said.
“We expect more grower/processors to become operational in the coming days. The program is moving forward to deliver medication to patients with serious medical conditions in the next few months.”
Following inspections, state-approved approved facilities are fully integrated with a seed-to-sale tracking system. The grower/processors will now be able to begin accepting seeds and clones to grow medical marijuana.
The Medical Marijuana Program was signed into law by Wolf on April 17, 2016 and is expected to be fully implemented by 2018. The program will offer medical marijuana to patients who are residents of Pennsylvania and under a practitioner’s care for the treatment of a serious medical condition as defined by the law.
“More than 9,300 patients have registered to participate in the program and are in the process of visiting an approved practitioner to get their patient certification,” Acting Health Secretary and Physician General Dr. Rachel Levine said.
“More than 200 physicians have been approved as practitioners, with nearly 300 more going through the process.”
In October, Pennsylvania Medical Solutions held a career expo where more than 250 residents attended to learn more about job opportunities with the company.
Pennsylvania Medical Solutions is a physician-led medical marijuana company dedicated to providing patients with high-quality medical marijuana products and compassionate care. The company is actively recruiting local and diverse talent to work at its Scranton cultivation and manufacturing facility. For more information, e-mail PAMS@vireohealth.com.
