Terrapin involved in effort to update Pennsylvania’s medical cannabis law
SOUTH AVIS, PA – Terrapin, a national cannabis leader with a medical marijuana processor license in Pennsylvania, is spearheading an effort to modernize Act 16, Pennsylvania’s medical cannabis law.
In a Monday release, the company said it is launching a campaign to prioritize the 400,000 Pennsylvania patients who rely on medical cannabis for a variety of conditions ranging from children suffering from autism and epileptic seizures, seniors with glaucoma and Parkinson’s disease, and countless others who have been diagnosed with cancer, multiple sclerosis (MS) and Huntington’s disease.
When Act 16 was signed into law in April 2016, it established the state’s medical marijuana growing, processing and dispensing industry.
“Anniversaries are a good time to take stock of an industry’s development, understand what we’ve learned, and set a course for where we go from here,” said Chris Woods, CEO of Terrapin. “After five years, we know that Act 16 has improved the quality of life for many Pennsylvanians, but more must be done to meet patient needs.”
Through a collaborative effort with its industry partners, Terrapin is urging Pennsylvania’s cannabis patients to contact their lawmakers by visiting FixAct16.com to call for improved access and the development of more diverse products to help patients manage various health conditions. Current restrictions have resulted in patients suffering long wait times to receive a limited variety and amount of approved medications. Many patients wait weeks before they receive a text message from dispensaries that their medication is ready.
The company release said Terrapin and its industry partners are also fighting for the public’s ability to easily access online forms and receive medical recommendations and renewals through telehealth and virtual pharmacy visits. Not everyone can afford to make their way to a doctor, especially for the sickest and most vulnerable patients. These quality-of-life issues can be easily addressed by updating Act 16.
“What may have made sense when the industry was new to Pennsylvania is no longer tenable. We’ve learned so much and established our legitimacy, most recently when faced with the pandemic. The industry’s response and the dedication of our workforce during COVID further legitimized medical cannabis as a responsible, essential industry and it’s time to make those changes permanent.”
“The time is long overdue to take advantage of what we have learned both here and in other states. Patients can visit FixAct16.com to urge their lawmakers to modernize Act 16 and benefit the hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania patients who rely on it,” said Woods.
Terrapin is committed to socially responsible cannabis production in all the states where it operates and is proud of its record of regulated production, job creation, and corporate citizenship.
About Terrapin Pennsylvania
Terrapin Pennsylvania operates under the umbrella of Boulder, Colo.-based Terrapin, which started as a medical cannabis provider in Colorado in 2009. Terrapin is a consumer/patient-focused cultivator, processor, and provider of high-quality products. With about 300 employees, Terrapin is a full-service seed-to-sale marijuana business with six storefronts in Colorado, a medical grower/processor facility in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, and a medical cannabis cultivation facility in Grand Rapids, Mich. Follow TCS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
