Erie to Welcome Second Medical Marijuana Dispensary

Iuliia

Through a Pittsburgh company in association with the University of Pittsburgh, a second medical marijuana dispensary is set to open in Erie — on Pittsburgh Avenue. 

Allegheny County-based Goodblend Pennsylvania, LLC is planning to open the new dispensary just down the road from two-year-old RISE Erie Dispensary (2108 W. Eighth) at 2178 W. 38th St., the corner parcel that formerly hosted a Sun Your Buns tanning salon and Bowser Aluminum. It is expected to create the equivalent of 24 full-time jobs. 

Goodblend was recently approved as the eighth and final clinical registrant of Pennsylvania's pioneering medical marijuana research program, the first of its kind in the nation. For approval, each clinical registrant was required to hold both a grower/processor permit and a dispensary permit, and seek a partnership with one of eight approved academic clinical research centers — of these, the University of Pittsburgh was the last still looking for a date to the cannabi-ball. 

The program seeks to expand upon the ever-growing body of knowledge regarding cannabis and its therapeutic and healing properties — so far, Pennsylvania has approved its use as treatment for 23 serious medical conditions. Since the institution of the state's medical marijuana program in April of 2016 and first sales in February of 2018, a total of 89 operational dispensaries have sold 16.5 million products worth $1.3 billion. In that same timespan, 25 grower/processors (including Erie's Calypso Enterprises, LLC) have emerged, with the majority directly supplying in-state dispensaries.

The other seven clinical registrants are as follows:

• Approved June 2019
• PA Options for Wellness, Inc., in association with the Penn State College of Medicine (Hershey)
• Agronomed Biologics, LLC, in association with the Drexel University College of Medicine (Philadelphia)
• MLH Explorations, LLC, in association with the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University (Philadelphia)
• Approved Feb. 2020
• Laurel Harvest Labs, LLC, in association with the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (Philadelphia)
• CannTech PA, LLC, in association with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (Erie)
• Organic Remedies, Inc., in association with the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (Philadelphia)
• Curaleaf PA, LLC, in association with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)

To facilitate safer and timelier delivery of treatment during COVID-19, Pennsylvania has provisionally relaxed some of its requirements regarding dispensary sales, including removing the cap on patient-per-caregiver limits, eliminating background checks for caregiver application renewals, allowing remote consultations in lieu of in-person consultations, and allowing a 90-day supply of medication to be dispensed at once. 

Matt Swanseger can be reached at mswanseger@eriereader.com