The first medical marijuana dispensary in Harford County is set to open this week. RISE Joppa will begin serving patients on Friday, April 27.
RISE Joppa will be overseen by Green Thumb Industries (GTI), which runs dispensaries in several states. The company already operates two RISE locations in Maryland, one in Bethesda and another in Silver Spring.
“We are thrilled to join the Joppa community and look forward to serving our patients,” Pete Kadens, chief executive officer of GTI, said in a statement.
“Our goal at our RISE dispensaries is to provide the very best care to our patients while offering the the most effective and quality medical marijuana available,” Kadens said.
Maryland legalized medical marijuana in 2013 and the first dispensary in Maryland opened in December 2017. Currently there are 46 licensed dispensaries across the state.
Medical use of marijuana has been legalized in 29 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The process to obtain cannabis legally in Maryland entails registering with the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission and obtaining certification from a medical provider registered with the state commission.
Conditions for which people may be prescribed cannabis include cachexia, anorexia, wasting syndrome, severe pain, severe nausea, seizures, severe or persistent muscle spasms, glaucoma, post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain.
Of the opening of RISE Joppa, Kadens said: “This is a great day for the patients of Maryland and the state’s medical cannabis program.”
Operators of the dispensary say they hope to help curb opioid use in Harford County.
“We are so honored to be able to bring relief to more patients in Maryland who are suffering and can benefit from medical cannabis,” GTI’s Maryland Market President Andy Grossman said in a statement.
“Harford County has been especially hard hit by the opioid epidemic,” Grossman added, “and GTI is hopeful that by offering an alternative treatment for chronic pain and other conditions we can have a positive impact on this issue which is so important to families and the community.”
