Compassionate Certification Centers, a national medical cannabis health care network, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new office at 10 a.m. Jan. 26 at 127 E. Cunningham St., Suite 101.

The office provides medical cannabis certifications and evaluations, as well as guidance and continued treatment care for eligible patients who have been diagnosed with one of 17 state qualifying conditions that can be treated with medical marijuana.

Compassionate Certification Centers’ co-founders Dr. Bryan Doner and Melonie Kotchey will host the ceremony. State Rep. Brian Ellis, R-11th, is scheduled to attend.

“I am a strong advocate for options, especially when it comes to health care decisions for individuals and families. I am honored to be a part of this ribbon-cutting ceremony at CCC in Butler. We are here to usher in a new year and a new era where medical cannabis alternatives are a legal option for Pennsylvanians,” Ellis said.

Dr. Anu Anand, a board-certified specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation, will oversee the office, which received extensive renovations in the fall of 2017 before opening its doors in December.

“My specialty in rehab medicine puts me in front of many patients with chronic pain and neurological diseases that don’t always improve with conventional therapy. Medical marijuana has been shown to have multiple therapeutic properties with few side effects, hence being a great alternative for this patient population,” Anand said.

It is estimated that nearly 200,000 patients are able to qualify for Pennsylvania medical marijuana cards, according to CCC.

Compassionate Certification Centers specializes in medical cannabis with locations throughout the state. Its physicians have backgrounds in pain management, oncology, neurology, pediatrics, gastroenterology, immunology, primary care, rehabilitation and emergency medicine.