State's Medical Marijuana Drought Ending As Growers Come On Line
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MCKEESPORT (KDKA) -- It's been a frustrating launch for medical marijuana in the state of Pennsylvania, with stops and starts from shortages of supply.
On Tuesday, the Solevo Wellness Dispensary in Squirrel Hill was out of stock once again.
But, owner Sam Britz says that's about to change.
"Yeah, it looks like tomorrow the dam will finally break. We have orders coming in from two of the growers," Britz said.
The grower-processors of medical marijuana are finally producing the product the dispensaries need to supply their patients, who are languishing on waiting lists.
Solevo will be getting a new shipment on Wednesday, followed next week by the first-round of supply from PurePenn, the grower-prcessor in McKeesport, which just harvested it's first crop.
"This is about two years worth of work being realized," said PurePenn owner, Gabe Perlow. "Momentous for us, very exciting for the city of McKeesport, for our employees, for me personally as well."
PurePenn has produced about 450 pounds of marijuana in its cultivation and grow rooms. It has been cleaned of its leaves and stems, and tested and approved in certified state labs.
The buds have been frozen and are going through an extraction process. PurePenn expects to produce 6,000 to 8,000 grams of concentrated oil to be used in a number of products to address specific medical conditions, and they will be marketed under the name "Moxie."
"Moxie is a nationally-recognized brand of medical marijuana concentrate," said Perlow. "It's known for its high-quality and consistency. It's a premium brand product."