Pa. approves marijuana suppliers for research institutions

Four new companies have been approved to grow marijuana for research purposes, teaming up with medical schools to learn more about cannabis.

State law allows for eight clinical registrants — entities which grow, process and dispense marijuana for research institutions.

“This research is essential to providing physicians with more evidence-based research to make clinical decisions for their patient,” Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said in a statement.

The four new permits brings the total number of clinical registrants in the state to seven. These are in addition to the 77 dispensaries which sell marijuana directly to patients, and the 21 grower/processors which grow their product.

Each clinical registrant is contracted with a different medical school.

The four new clinical registrants are:

• Laurel Harvest Labs LLC, contracted with Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia

• CannTech PA, LLC, contracted with Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), Erie

• Organic Remedies, Inc., contracted with Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia

• Curaleaf PA, LLC, contracted with The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Three were approved last year, working with Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, and Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University of Philadelphia.

That leaves the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine as the only medical school approved as a marijuana research institution that does not have a contract with a cannabis supplier.

Applicants for the final clinical registrant will open Feb. 27, according to the state Department of Health.

Department officials will meet with the eight medical schools and the seven clinical registrants in March to talk about their research plans.

There are almost 169,000 active certified patients participating in the state’s medical marijuana program, which has generated about $720 million in total sales since its inception.