After months of anticipation, Pennsylvania will finally be opening the state’s first medical marijuana facilities. Gov. Tom Wolfe announced Tuesday that Pennsylvania will start medical marijuana sales this week, and the plant will be available for purchase starting on Thursday, February 15th.

The Dawn Of A New Era

Although The Medical Marijuana Program was signed by Governor Wolf back on April 17, 2016, Pennsylvania has done its due diligence to ensure the program’s rollout will be properly regulated and funded. It will be available to patients with one or more of the state’s 17 qualifying conditions.

“Pennsylvanians have been waiting years for this moment,” Wolf said in a statement. “Medical marijuana is legal, safe and now available to Pennsylvanians suffering from 17 serious medical conditions.

In less than two years, we have developed a regulatory infrastructure, approved physicians as practitioners, certified patients to participate and launched a new industry to help thousands find relief from their debilitating symptoms.”

Since the initial announcement, more than 17,000 patients have been registered for the medical marijuana program, with close to 4,000 receiving approval. In addition, 10 dispensaries and 10 growers have been approved to open up shop.

While patients cannot buy seeds or consume traditional flower or even edibles, due to Pennsylvania state laws, customers will be allowed to choose from a variety of alternative consumption methods such as vaporizers, oil cartridges, tinctures and lotions.

Cresco Yeltrah, the first facility approved by state officials, will be making its debut on Thursday. Fellow dispensaries, Keystone Canna Remedies, Solevo and Organic Remedies will begin selling medication on February 16th, and Terra Vida Holistic Center and Keystone Shop will be opening their doors on the 17th.

Qualifying customers are being asked to contact the dispensaries beforehand to determine if an appointment is necessary before purchasing any products.

Final Hit: Pennsylvania Will Start Medical Marijuana Sales This Week

While February 15th marks the first official day of medical marijuana sales, technically speaking, one dispensary has been open for business.

Keystone Canna Remedies in Bethlehem, PA, opened up shop back in January, but strictly for patient consultations and educational workshops. It will finally begin selling products on the 16th.

And while the inception of medical marijuana may come at a precarious time for Pennsylvania patients, factoring in Jeff Sessions recent nixing of an Obama-Era bill that protected states from federal law, Pennsylvania shops appear to be in good hands with Gov. Tom Wolfe, who has championed the use of medicinal cannabis for several years.

One owner even believes that Pennsylvania’s program could have a profound effect on the way the federal government currently views the plant.

“We believe that the state will protect us,” Keystone Canna Remedies co-owner Victora Guadagnino Jr. declared. “I’m not worried because we’re focused on getting the patients access. When people can see the benefits cannabis can have, I think there is going to be a lot of change at the national level.”