Medical marijuana goes on sale Thursday in Pa.

For patients seeking relief through prescription pot, sales will begin on Thursday in Pennsylvania at medical marijuana facilities.

Some facilities open Thursday. In the Philadelphia area, the nearest shops will open on Saturday morning: Terra Vida Holistic Center in Sellersville, Pa., and Keystone Shops in Devon, Pa. 

But if you’re in in the Pittsburgh area, on Thursday Cresco Yeltrah will be the first store to start selling cannabis-based medical products as of 9 a.m.

“Medical marijuana is legal, safe and now available to Pennsylvanians suffering from 17 serious medical conditions,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a statement, two years after  signing medical mariuana legislation. “Pennsylvanians have been waiting years for this moment.”

Some 17,000 patients are currently registered to get medical marijuana. Approximately 708 physicians are registered to participate in the state’s medical marijuana program.

Despite this step forward, pro-legalization activists say it isn’t enough given the long history of criminal prosecution of marijuana merchants in Pennsylvania.

Some have complained that medical marijuana stores require patients to have specific illnesses, don’t sell whole-leaf marijuana, as well as saying that the medical prescription process may present an obstacle to some patients. Many activists are continuing to push for Washington state- or Colorado-style full legalization. 

Need weed?

These Philly-area facilities open Feb. 17. A prescripion is required.

Terra Vida Holistic Center, 64 N. Main St., Sellersville, PA 18960, 215-257-3243

Keystone Shops-Devon, 420 West Lancaster Ave., Devon, PA, 484-581-7189