
Dispense Podcast now available on iHeartRadio
Featured, NewsThe Dispense Podcast is now part of the iHeartRadio family! Click here to listen to our latest episode, “Helping Veterans Find Balance: An Interview With Ron Millward”.
Medical cannabis is becoming a part of the everyday lives of veterans,…

Helping Veterans Find Balance: An Interview with Ron Millward
Interviews, News, PodcastMedical cannabis is a huge issue with veterans, as it is often the most effective treatment for both pain and PTSD. So we’re proud to bring you profiles of veterans who are making waves in the cannabis industry by helping to make things better…

Mental Health and Medical Cannabis: Dispense Magazine Panel Podcast
Interviews, News, PodcastFor many people dealing with mental health issues, to explore using cannabis as a treatment, it seems overwhelming because of two stigmas. First is the stigma of their condition, and second the stigma still lingering with medical cannabis in…

Veteran Profile: Erik Asher, Mastering the Power of the Press
Featured, News, Podcast Fall 2019Erik Asher is a Desert Storm Veteran and a tremendous influencer in the medical marijuana community in and around Pittsburgh. His expertise with a live rosin press has earned him a large following on YouTube. He recently spoke to Dispense for…

Vireo Launches Green Goods Dispensary; Announces New Cannabis Brand 1937
Featured, NewsThe first Green Goods branded retail location opened yesterday in Scranton, offering customers cannabis products from Vireo and other state-licensed manufacturers. The Company plans to open a second Green Goods location in Bethlehem, and the…

Medical Cannabis, DUI, and Your Pennsylvania Driver’s License
Featured, Law, News Fall 2019On April 17, 2016, Pennsylvania became the 24th state to legalize Cannabis as a medical treatment when Governor Wolf signed the “Medical Marijuana Act.” While the Act has addressed many concerns on the medical administration of the drug,…

Inside SB 350, PA's Adult-Use Bill: An Exclusive Interview with Senator Daylin Leach
Featured, Interviews, NewsSenator Daylin Leach was a co-author of Act 16, which legalized Medical Marijuana in Pennsylvania. Signed into law in April 2016, the first dispensaries opened two years later in February 2018, and since then over 200,000 patients have had access…

Vireo Employees Ratify Landmark Agreement Creating the First Cannabis Union Contract in Pennsylvania
Featured, Interviews, NewsUnited Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776 Keystone State and Vireo Health International, Inc. ("Vireo"), announced Monday that workers at Vireo’s Pennsylvania subsidiary voted overwhelmingly to ratify a Collective Bargaining Agreement…

DOH Releases Statement as PA sees first death in vaping sickness
Health, NewsOne person has died from lung injuries associated with vaping, state Secretary of Health, Dr. Rachel Levine announced Friday.
Officials from the PA Department of Health aren't disclosing any other details about the death, as when or where…

How to Run a Patient-Focused Dispensary
Featured, Interviews, News Fall 2019An Interview with Victor Guadagnino, Jr.
The legalization of medical cannabis in Pennsylvania, while very successful in numbers, has not been without problems. The lack of patient education is one that stands out. Patients are not always receiving…

Dispense Publisher Featured in Pittsburgh Business Times
Featured, NewsThe Pittsburgh Business Times posted a blog about Medical Cannabis today, spotlighting several Pittsburgh area industry experts. The article, titled, “Ask The Experts: Medical Marijuana in Pennsylvania,” features, among others, our Founder…

The State of PA's Medical Cannabis Program - An Interview With Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman
Featured, News, PodcastLast week, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced that he and his Lt. Governor are firmly in favor of the legalization of cannabis for adult use.
Lt. Governor John Fetterman is a loud voice for legalization, a voice he earned by listening…

Patient’s Perspective - The REAL Problem With Vaping
Featured, Health, NewsIt’s been just over a year and a half since patients in PA have been able to legally purchase cannabis as medicine. That’s a year and a half of healing and health that thousands of people have been searching a very long time for, some for…

Check out Dispense Magazine and more at the Third Annual Mind, Body, Spirit Healing Expo
Featured, Health, NewsThe Third Annual Mind, Body, Spirit Healing Expo will be held this weekend and Dispense Magazine is excited to be a part of the event again this year. We will be on hand both days, Saturday, Sept. 28 and Sunday, Sept. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,…

Are Legal PA Vapes Safe?
Featured, Health, News, ScienceTop Researchers and PA Grower/Processors reassure patients
As most have heard, there is a whirlwind of stories and conflicting information regarding the recent outbreak of lung illnesses and deaths related to vaping, which is causing confusion…



PA Growers/Processors, Dispensaries Release Statements Regarding Vaping Illnesses
NewsIn regards to the recent illnesses and deaths related to vaping, Pennsylvania Grower/Processors have been quick to respond and are making a concerted effort to assure their clients that their products are safe. All available statements are below:
Cresco…


Death Toll Rises From Mysterious Illness Linked to Vaping
Featured, Health, NewsVitamin E Acetate now a "key focus" of the investigation; PA and Cresco Labs says its products are safe
UPDATE: To include a statement issued by Cresco Labs, a cannabis company that owns 23 production facilities and 22 dispensaries in 11 states,…


Talking to Your Doctor About Medical Cannabis
Health, News Spring 2019Americans for Safe Access has some advice on how to have a conversation about cannabis with your physician.
Be forthright. There is nothing wrong or illegal about discussing medical cannabis with your doctor. Federal courts have ruled that…



Let’s Talk Terpenes - Beta-Caryophyllene
Featured, Health, News, Science, TerpenesThis is the seventh installment in our weekly series, “Let’s Talk Terpenes,” published every Monday. For more information, read the introduction to this series, “Let’s Talk Terpenes: A Guide For Medical Marijuana Patients.”
Caryophyllene…


Cannabis Science
Featured, Health, News Spring 2019The latest news, research, and reports on the therapeutic uses of cannabis from the scientific community
The Case for the Entourage Effect and Conventional Breeding of Clinical Cannabis: “No Strain,” No Gain
Prolific cannabis researcher…


Anxiety and what it takes to qualify: An Interview with Sara Makin
Health, Interviews, News, PodcastAs of July 20, 2019, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Health now includes anxiety to the list of qualifying conditions for patients to be able to use medical cannabis.
But what exactly does it mean to have anxiety? We all get anxious from time to…


3,000 Pennsylvanians with anxiety certified for medical cannabis in the first month
Featured, Health, NewsIn July, Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine announced that anxiety and Tourette syndrome would be added to a list of more than 20 qualifying medical marijuana conditions. Since then, a staggering 3,000 people have been certified for anxiety…


DC Now Accepting Medical Marijuana Cards From Any State
Featured, NewsMedical marijuana patients from across the country will now be able to purchase their medicine at D.C. dispensaries.
Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Thursday that the list of states with medical marijuana programs whose residents can purchase…


Judge rules 'plain smell' of marijuana no longer provides authorities with probable cause to search a vehicle
Featured, Law, News
In a case exposing some confusion regarding the legality of medical marijuana, a Pennsylvania judge issued a notable verdict when she ruled that police cannot legally search a citizen's car based simply on the odor of marijuana.
On Aug.…


State denies medical marijuana growing/processing company’s permit renewal request
Featured, Health, NewsHARRISBURG, July 29, 2019 - On Monday, The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced that it has denied AGRiMED Industries of PA, LLC's application to renew its grower/processor permit. This decision comes after the DOH concluded the company…


Standard Wellness recalls medical marijuana drops
Featured, NewsAn Ohio medical marijuana company has issued a voluntary recall for its THC-infused water-soluble drops after reports of product contamination. Standard Wellness, based in Gibsonburg, told 15 dispensaries to stop selling all packages of "The…


Scientists discover pain relief potential of cannabis
Featured, Health, News, ScienceCannabis flavonoids 30 times more effective than aspirin
Researchers at the University of Guelph in Ontario Canada have pinpointed how the cannabis plant produces vital pain-relieving molecules that are 30 times more powerful at reducing inflammation…


Medical Cannabis and the Second Amendment
Interviews, Law, News Winter 2019What are a patient's firearm rights?
The issue of a medical cannabis patient’s Second Amendment rights is of great concern here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania where we have a long tradition of hunting and sportsmen. Now that physicians…



Let’s Talk Terpenes: A Guide for Medical Marijuana Patients
Featured, Health, News, ScienceThis is an introduction to our new weekly series, “Let’s Talk Terpenes.” This series will feature some of the most commonly known terpenes, their uses, effects, medical benefits and more. Read on for an in-depth look into the important…


When it comes to medical marijuana, relief can take many forms
Featured, Health, News, Sponsored Spring 2019As Pennsylvania’s 100,000 medical marijuana patients head to their local dispensaries, growing demand has emerged for live and dry concentrates, says Brandon Miller, Director of Production for Prime Wellness of Pennsylvania.
“Whether…


Anxiety disorders and Tourette Syndrome to be added to list of Medical Marijuana Program qualifying medical conditions
Featured, Health, NewsThursday, July 11, 2019 - The Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine today announced that effective July 20, anxiety disorders and Tourette syndrome will be added to the list of approved qualifying medical conditions in…




Department of Health Issues Cease and Desist Order to AGRiMED Industries
Law, NewsAfter a surprise inspection found numerous violations, The PA Department of Health ordered AGRiMED Industries of PA, LLC, to cease and desist harvesting, cutting or destroying marijuana plants at it’s Carmichaels, Pa. facility. The grower…


Medical Cannabis Card Sharks
Featured, Health, Law, News Spring 2019How to not get ripped off when getting certified for a medical marijuana card in PA
So you want to go get your medical marijuana card? Well, buyer beware! Out there in the wild west of PA’s medical marijuana program, you could get seriously…




Message from the Publisher
Featured, NewsThe beginning of Summer is a great time to announce an exciting new addition to the Dispense Magazine website.
On the Summer Solstice, we in the Northern Hemisphere observe the longest days of the year, when the sun rises the…


PA Department of Health Launches Medical Marijuana Research Program
Featured, Law, News, SciencePennsylvania continues on the path to be the leader in Medical Marijuana Research
HARRISBURG (June 20, 2019) - In a move yet to be matched by any other state, the PA Department of Health launched a research program, aimed at providing information…


Restore and Reboot with Felicia Greenfield-Blau
Featured, Health, News, Podcast Spring 2019
A therapeutic model for a cannabis-based opioid reduction
Spring 2019 Cover Story
Rather than a gateway drug, cannabis is quickly becoming an exit drug as more patients use it along with well-established holistic therapies to reduce their…


Medical Cannabis and Employment
Health, Law, News Spring 2019The State of Pennsylvania Three Years After Legalization
Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Act became law on April 17, 2016. In the three years since legalization, the Commonwealth has seen many changes. Grower/processors opened. Dispensaries…


Releaf App Helps Patients Find The Best Medicine
Health, News, Sponsored Spring 2019Releaf is a free mobile app that empowers patients to make informed treatment and purchasing decisions by tracking the level of symptom relief a specific cannabis product or variety did, or did not, provide them. In addition to tracking symptom…




Saving the Medical Program When Adult Use is Legal
News, PodcastIn this episode, we continue our discussion about what happens to the medical program when the recreational adult use of cannabis is legalized. We talk to PA State Senator Sharif Street, author of SB-350, an adult use bill currently being debated…


Protecting the Medical Program When Adult Use is Legal
Featured, Law, News, PodcastIn this episode, we continue our discussion about what happens to the medical program when the recreational adult use of cannabis is legalized. We talk to PA State Senator Sharif Street, author of SB-350, an adult use bill currently being debated…


Why Physicians Founded Vireo Health
Featured, Health, News Winter 2019For Dr. Kyle Kingsley, a trained emergency medical doctor in Minnesota, his perspective on the use of medical cannabis evolved after meeting a Gulf War veteran who had suffered a gunshot wound resulting in a spinal cord injury. For years, the…




Dispense With The Nonsense: Cheers, Jeers, Sighs and Raspberries on The Front Lines of Reefer Madness
NewsA Busy Department of Health Earns a Variety of Responses
Pennsylvania lawmakers wisely put the administration of the medical cannabis program in the hands of the Department of Health (DoH), as medicine should be, and not under departments that…


Medical Cannabis: The Next Wave of Holistic Medicine
Featured, Health, News Winter 2019Pennsylvania is not often considered a progressive state, but the medical cannabis program is regarded as one of the best state programs in the country by many industry insiders. Patient and physician friendly, it may be the best example of…


How Safe Are Your CBD Products?
Featured, Health, Interviews, News, Podcast Winter 2019An interview with Jahan Marcu and Jan Roberts
The International Research Center on Cannabis and Mental Health (IRCCMH), along with the Cannabis Chemistry Subdivision of the American Chemical Society, recently released a report about the safety…


Medical Marijuana for First-Time Users - PART III
Health, News, PodcastSolevo Wellness, Pittsburgh's first medical marijuana dispensary, and Dispense Magazine team up for a new series of podcasts called Cannabis Conversations. Recorded live in front of an audience every month, these conversations are with a medical…


Medical Marijuana for First-Time Users - PART II
Health, News, PodcastSolevo Wellness, Pittsburgh's first medical marijuana dispensary, and Dispense Magazine team up for a new series of podcasts called Cannabis Conversations. Recorded live in front of an audience every month, these conversations are with a medical…


Medical Marijuana for First-Time Users - PART I
Health, News, PodcastSolevo Wellness, Pittsburgh's first medical marijuana dispensary, and Dispense Magazine team up for a new series of podcasts called Cannabis Conversations. Recorded live in front of an audience every month, these conversations are with a medical…


Now That Doctors Can Opt-Out of Public Lists, Will More Get Certified?
Health, NewsPA Docs can now get certified to recommend medical cannabis without having their name made public. Will this help end the stigma?
Posted By: Sven Hosford, Publisher, Dispense Magazine.
With medical cannabis now legal in Pennsylvania, the…


A Message from Patrick K. Nightingale
Health, News"The Medical Cannabis Society was founded with a mission to educate both the public, the patient community and our medical professionals about the incredible efficacy of this non-toxic and natural treatment alternative. Our goals include providing…




From the Publisher Sven Hosford
Health, News
You hear it in every pharmaceutical TV commercial. “Ask your doctor if this drug is right for you.” Now that Pennsylvania has joined 28 other states in regulating the medicinal use of it, now is the time to “ask your doctor”…


PA’s Medical Marijuana Program: Setting the Keystone Standard
Health, News
How Strong Is The PA Medical Marijuana Program?
As Pennsylvania’s cannabis industry takes its first steps forward, the question most doctors and patients are asking is, “Is the PA Medical Marijuana program stable and sustainable…


Becoming a Medical Marijuana Caregiver in PA
Health, Law, News
Becoming a Caregiver in the PA Medical Marijuana Program, only takes a few simple steps
By Diana Hileman Briggs
The PA Medical Marijuana Program is extremely patient focused. The regulations for caregivers are designed to help parents…


In The New Medical Cannabis Industry, Dr. John Metcalf Takes a Step Back In Time
Health, News
By Ben Lago
One phone call — and the ensuing conversation — changed everything. Nothing would be the same again for the staff of Medical Marijuana Solutions. The group of skilled medical professionals had formed in order…


Inside a Leading Medical Cannabis Dispensary: A Patient-Centered Experience
Health, News
The flagship Greensburg facility of Keystone Integrated Care (KIC) will open soon as the first medical cannabis dispensary in Westmoreland County., Pennsylvania. Additional KIC sites are set for Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood…




Your Endocannabinoid System
Health, NewsThe Biochemical System Controlling the Effects of Cannabis
by Jahan Marcu,
Chief Scientific Officer, Americans for Safe Access (safeaccessnow.org) Follow @SafeAccessNow and @PatientFocused on Twitter for more information.
In…