Several additional companies are to open dispensaries in South Philadelphia and Center City by early fall.

Pennsylvania legalized cannabis medicines in April 2016. The first growers and processors harvested their initial crops in January and shipped product in February to what were then just a handful of dispensaries scattered across the state.

Patients suffering from 21 serious health ailments — including chronic pain and opioid-use disorder — may qualify for medical marijuana products after applying to the state Department of Health for a patient registration card and getting a certified recommendation from a state-approved doctor. More information may be found at medicalmarijuana.pa.gov.

>> READ MORE: For updates about the medical marijuana programs in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware visit philly.com/cannabis