Sunrise Organic Wellness, a medical marijuana company that operates in four states and Washington, D.C., plans to open Beaver County's first medical marijuana dispensary in June along Sheffield Road in Aliquippa.

ALIQUIPPA — Medical marijuana will be available for purchase in Beaver County by this summer.

Sunrise Organic Wellness, a medical marijuana company that operates in four states and Washington, D.C., plans to open the county's first medical marijuana dispensary in June along Sheffield Road in Aliquippa.

The company was awarded a dispensary permit for Aliquippa in December. This will be the fourth dispensary location in Pennsylvania for the company, which also operates a grow facility in New Castle.

"The market is going to be strong there," said Lou Giannotti, director of dispensary operations for Pennsylvania for Sunrise. "We're a relatively large company that is experienced at doing this. We have a lot to offer."

Keith Morgan, director of administration for the Haverford, Pa.-based company, said the dispensary will require 25 to 30 jobs to fully operate. Those jobs range from pharmacists who will consult with patients to workers who will prepare the orders, Giannotti said.

There's a lot of misconceptions about buying medical marijuana, Giannotti said. The dispensary won't be like a deli, where people can come in and pick out what they want and watch it be weighed.

Someone can't just walk in off the street and buy medical marijuana, Giannotti said. Only those with state-issued medical marijuana cards can enter a dispensary, Giannotti said, and the pharmacist will consult with a first-time patient to help determine the right product for their medical needs.

"We carry a wide assortment, not only our own product, but things other growers and processors produce as well," Giannotti said. "It's a pretty wide selection of different products."

Among the products the dispensary will sell are capsules, transdermal patches, lotions, concentrates and the flower itself, along with various accessories.

"It's been a huge success out here for us with the reception we've been given from the communities and patients," Giannotti said of the three locations in Bensalem, Norristown and northeastern Philadelphia. "People are a little cautious at first, but once they see how we do business, they see it's all very professionally done."