Message from the Publisher

The 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 earliest and sets the latest. In keeping with our commitment to supporting businesses with solid integrity, it is an auspicious time to announce a major new expansion by Dispense Magazine to shed more light on the medical cannabis industry. 

We currently have online profiles for nearly every dispensary and certifying physician in Pennsylvania and are rapidly expanding into other states that have medical cannabis programs. This update allows patients to search for a dispensary or a certifying physician in their area, and provide feedback in the form of Star Ratings (1-5) and Reviews. 

It is you, our dear readers and advocates, who can provide the best antiseptic for our industry, which is the sunlight of voice. Your feedback is key to spotlighting the best and the worst of our industry, and everyone in between. Found a doc who treated you great? Let us know! Had a miserable experience with a clinic that piled on hidden charges or requirements? Your review could make a difference. Do you want to report what happened during your latest dispensary visit? Now you have a single place where future potential patients can see the accumulated experiences to help make the most informed choices. 

Medical cannabis is a brand new industry. Only 33 states even have laws allowing it. In times of intense change and growth, like we are experiencing, our industry is beginning to utilize tools that have proven effective in other industries to keep businesses honest and ethical. Just as Yelp and Trip Advisor encourage restaurants to be their best and to help patrons find them, just as AirBNB and Uber let you give a Star Rate and Review to every host and driver, now the medical cannabis industry has a tool to keep us all honest. 

Therefore, your review is critical. With the added sunlight of thousands of patients’ input, Dispense Magazine is the website you can trust not only for medical news, science, and information but as an essential resource of finding both an honest certifying physician and a dependable medical dispensary. 

Just yesterday, just 16 months since dispensary doors opened, the PA Department of Health announced that over 106,000 patients and over 1,100 doctors are now active in the program. This industry is here to stay. Let’s all work together to make it the best it can be. Please give your rating and review for a Physician or Dispensary today. Your help is greatly appreciated!

Wishing you a sunny summer,

Sven Hosford