Centre County Cannabis – Is It Legal & Where To Buy 2024

Is Cannabis Cultivation Legal in Centre County?

The cultivation of cannabis in Centre County is legal only if licensed and intended for medical purposes according to the Medical Marijuana Act of 2016 in the State of Pennsylvania. The state’s Medical Marijuana Program is under the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH).

To operate a medical cannabis cultivation business in Centre County, a company must apply to the DOH Medical Marijuana Program for a medical cannabis grower’s permit, and then attend a two-hour training session after acquiring it. A maximum of 25 such permits will be issued statewide. Application requirements are as follows:

• Payment of the non-refundable $10,000 application fee

• Payment of the $200,000 permit fee, to be refunded for disapproved applications

• Submission of documented proof of having a venture capital of $2 million, of which $500,000 must be in a bank deposit

• Submission of documented proof of municipal zoning regulations compliance

• Submission of documented proof of being able to provide the medical cannabis facility with adequate security against illegal access

• Submission of a diversity plan

Licensed medical cannabis cultivators are not allowed to use pesticides that are not registered in the State of Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture in compliance with the Pennsylvania Pesticide Control Act of 1973. The pesticides they apply must be permitted specifically for medical cannabis use.

PA Code 1151.23 and the Medical Marijuana Act allow only the indoor cultivation and storage of medical cannabis in a fully enclosed and secure facility. No medical cannabis or medical cannabis activity must be visible to the public.

Clear signage with dimensions of at least one square foot and text fonts at least half an inch tall must identify each indoor area’s usage and entry restrictions. Only authorized personnel must be allowed to enter. Any visitor must be accompanied by facility staff for the duration of the visit. The entire facility must be protected by a security system with electronic locks and continuous recorded video surveillance. Footage must be kept for at least 180 days.

All types of medical cannabis business facilities must establish an electronic inventory tracking system connected to the DOH medical cannabis database and must ensure daily updates.

Is Cannabis Manufacturing Legal in Centre County?

The manufacturing of cannabis products in Centre County is legal only if licensed and if the cannabis products are for medical use as stated by the State of Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Act.

To operate a medical cannabis product manufacturing business in Centre County, a company must obtain a medical cannabis processor’s permit issued by the DOH Medical Marijuana Program. Only 25 of these permits are to be granted across the state. Once approved, the licensee must likewise go through a two-hour training course.

The same requirements for application, indoor operations, security, access, signage, public visibility, and inventory monitoring that apply to medical cannabis cultivation licenses also apply to medical cannabis manufacturing licenses.

Is Cannabis Retail Legal in Centre County?

The retail selling of cannabis in Centre County is legal only if licensed and provided that only medical cannabis and medical cannabis products are sold exclusively to medical cannabis cardholders as stipulated by the Medical Marijuana Act of the State of Pennsylvania.

To operate a medical cannabis dispensary in Centre County, a company must apply for the DOH Medical Marijuana Program’s medical cannabis dispensary permit. The DOH will issue only 50 dispensary permits throughout the state, with each licensee authorized to establish a maximum of three dispensary locations. The licensee must also finish the same two-hour training course required for medical cannabis grower and processor licensees. The following are the application requirements:

• Payment of the non-refundable $5,000 application fee

• Payment of the $30,000 permit fee, to be refunded for disapproved applications

• Submission of documented proof of having a capital of $150,000

• Submission of documented proof of municipal zoning regulations compliance

• Submission of documented proof of being able to provide the medical cannabis dispensary with adequate security against illegal access

• Submission of a business plan

• Submission of a diversity plan

As of April 17, 2023, there were four licensed medical cannabis dispensaries in Centre County, all in the municipality of State College. They are only permitted to sell a 90-day supply of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products to a medical cannabis cardholder every 83 days, based on the registered patient’s prescription.

Licensed medical cannabis dispensaries are not permitted to sell medical cannabis in forms meant for smoking and as edible products. While they are permitted to sell medical cannabis for vaporization, this does not include those that are on the DOH list of forbidden products that contain unsafe additives. Other allowed forms of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products for sale to medical cannabis cardholders are dry cannabis leaves or plant parts, oils, tinctures, pills, liquids, and topical formulations like ointments, creams, and gels.

Is Cannabis Delivery Legal in Centre County?

Under the State of Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Act, it is not legal in Centre County to deliver even medical cannabis and medical cannabis products to medical cannabis cardholders. The purchase of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products by medical cannabis cardholders is only allowed within licensed medical cannabis dispensaries. The Act, however, allows the transport of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products from one licensed medical cannabis business to another.

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Centre County

To acquire a medical cannabis card, residents of Centre County must first create an account in the online Medical Marijuana Program Registry of the State of Pennsylvania and get a patient identification number (PIN). They must then search for a medical practitioner who has been approved by the DOH for medical cannabis treatment. There are 14 of these doctors in Centre County.

The patient must be examined by the authorized doctor to determine a diagnosis of one of the following qualifying conditions:

• Terminal illness

• Huntington’s Disease

• Sickle cell anemia

• Glaucoma

• Anxiety

• Intractable skeletal muscular spasticity

• Tourette Syndrome

• HIV/AIDS

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

• Inflammatory bowel disease

• Severe chronic pain

• Epilepsy

• Autism

• Multiple sclerosis

• Parkinson’s Disease

• Dyskinetic and spastic movement disorders

• Central nervous system damage

• Neuropathies

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Dysmenorrhea

• Cancer

• Neurodegenerative diseases

• Crohn’s disease

• Opioid Use Disorder

After the patient is diagnosed, the doctor will use the PIN to post a certification on the online registry. The patient’s email address must be included. If the patient is a minor or an adult who needs assistance, the physician will indicate in the certification that a caregiver is needed. A maximum of two caregivers may be appointed for each patient. The caregiver’s information and email address must also be posted. The patient will pay for the consultation if it is not covered by the patient’s health insurance.

An email will be received by the patient and caregiver separately providing instructions on how to complete the application and pay the fee of $50. Beneficiaries of the following programs are exempted from paying:

• Medicaid

• WIC

• SNAP

• PACE/PACENET

As part of the application process, the patient and caregiver must each submit proof of state residency such as a copy of the state ID or a Pennsylvania driver’s license. It must show a USPS-recognized valid mailing address. This is where the approved medical cannabis card will be mailed to.

Further information may be sought from:

Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program

888-733-5595

7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time, including weekends and holidays

How Has Cannabis Legalization Impacted the Economy of Centre County?

According to the State of Pennsylvania’s Department of Revenue, there is no sales taximposed on medical cannabis and medical cannabis products. There is, however, a gross receipts tax of 5% that licensed medical cannabis cultivators and manufacturers must pay on every sale they make to a licensed medical cannabis dispensary. Moreover, licensed medical cannabis businesses of any type must pay all of the normal business taxes.

Total revenues from medical cannabis taxes, as well as those from medical cannabis business application fees and license fees, are sent to the Medical Marijuana Program Fund for the following allocation:

• The Medical Marijuana Program operations and outreach activities get 40%

• The research program of the DOH regarding illnesses that could be included in the medical cannabis treatment program gets 30%

• The subsidies to patients and caregivers in financial distress get 15% for:

  • Medical cannabis provided to patients

  • Medical cannabis card fees being waived or discounted

  • Fees on background checks of caregivers being reimbursed

• The activities of the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs related to treatment, counseling, and prevention get 10%

• The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency gets 5% for distribution to local police departments, including that of Centre County, to be used in implementing the Medical Marijuana Act

The Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Crime Rates in Centre County

Medical cannabis was legalized in Centre County in 2016.

Data sent by the Centre County Sheriff's Office to the FBI’s Crime Explorer page shows that in 2017, the year after medical cannabis legalization, there was one arrest for a marijuana offense, which was possession. The latest available data in 2018 shows also one arrest for a marijuana offense, which was also possession. No data is available on the number of DUI arrests in 2017 and 2018.

For the entire State of Pennsylvania, the FBI page shows that in 2015, one year before the legalization of medical cannabis, there were 22,845 arrests for marijuana offenses, comprised of 18,470 arrests for possession and 4,375 arrests for sales.

In 2017, one year after medical cannabis legalization, there were 27,793 arrests for marijuana offenses, of which 23,127 were for possession and 4,666 were for sales.

In 2019, there were 12,356 marijuana offense arrests, comprised of 11,239 arrests for possession and 1,117 arrests for sales.

The latest available data in 2021 shows 1,348 arrests for marijuana offenses, of which 1,276 were for possession and 72 were for sales.

The number of DUI arrests was as follows in those years:

• 2015: 46,904 arrests

• 2017: 45,492 arrests

• 2019: 21,137 arrests

• 2021: 3,903 arrests