SCRANTON, Pa. — Thursday is 4/20, known as an unofficial cannabis holiday.
The drug has not been given the green light for recreational use in Pennsylvania, but the medical marijuana industry is booming.
There are plenty of critics but also plenty of customers.
We stopped by Beyond/Hello dispensary in Scranton. The company also has locations in Dickson City and Stroudsburg.
Eugene Szezorak, the manager in Scranton, says he saw a huge spike in business in 2019 when anxiety got added to the list of conditions that qualify you for a medical marijuana card. That's one of the most common ailments people come in for, along with body pain and trouble sleeping.
Some of the most popular remedies are CBD creams and lotions.
He also acknowledged the most common criticism of medical marijuana.
"That maybe it's too easy to get. But when it comes to the guardrails they have in place, you have to have a qualifying condition. You have to speak to a doctor about it. You have to speak to a pharmacist about it, and then you come here and purchase it in a clean, safe environment," Szezorak said.
He also said patients deserve the right to advocate for their own health.
"You should be able to stump for yourself and say, 'Hey, I have this going on. I think this will help me.' That's part of being an adult."
He also mentioned pharmacists. All dispensaries in Pennsylvania have to have a licensed pharmacist on staff.
Some of those pharmacists might come from Wilkes University. The university has a new certification program for cannabis and CBD extraction.
The school does not have a license to grow or study marijuana which would actually get you high. Everything they work with has to have a THC level below 0.3 percent. The students primarily grow and study hemp plants and CBD.
Here's what some of that research includes.
"They'll learn about what are the false claims out there, what are the real claims for therapeutic effectiveness, what are the drug interactions people aren't talking about," said Adam VanWert, an associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Wilkes.
Graduates can go on to work in many fields, including the medical marijuana field.
"The quantities actually have to be verified. So those are routinely tested, just like over-the-counter drugs and prescription drugs. It should be a regulated space, and people should know what they're taking has been tested," said Don Mencer, chair of the chemistry department at Wilkes.
If the chemistry of cannabis piques your interest, you can find out more about the program here.
To find out more about Pennsylvania's medical marijuana program here.