New Day
Four years ago Diana Briggs was called “Pot Mom” and accused of trying to get medical marijuana passed in Pennsylvania to procure it for herself and not her son, whose epilepsy caused him to suffer 400 seizures per day.
On Thursday, an emotional Briggs called the opening of Cresco Yeltrah, Western Pennsylvania's first medical marijuana dispensary, a miracle.
“(Medical marijuana) has not only changed his life, it's changed my whole family's lives,” she said.
Cresco Yeltrah, now known as CY+, held the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for its location on Pillow Street next to Kelly Automotive Park. A dispensary opened in Bethlehem, Northampton County, on Jan. 17.
Thursday's invitation-only event saw staff, local officials, business people, neighbors and citizens milling about the modern, professional office and learning about the benefits of medical marijuana in its many forms.
Jesse Worsk, the regional dispensary manager for CY+, explained that prospective patients must first get their medical marijuana card as a sufferer of one of the 17 medical conditions approved by the state for treatment by the substance.
Compassionate Certification Centers — located less than a mile away on West Cunningham Street — offers exams and guidance in getting medical marijuana cards if appropriate, and a list of 600 registered doctors is available at http://bit.ly/PAdoctors.
Once a patient procures the card, they come to CY+ with the recommendations made by the doctor who approved the card as well as their driver's license.
Professionals at the dispensary, including a pharmacist and patient care specialist trained specifically in medical marijuana, will guide patients regarding which product and strength is best for their condition.
Because medical marijuana is not covered by any insurance as of yet, customers buy the product they feel best suits their needs based on the consultation with staff.
Worsk said according to his experience in Vermont, those suffering from chronic pain are the most frequent users of medical marijuana.
He said many people are shocked at the relief they experience by using medical marijuana and the absence of the side effects caused by many pharmaceuticals.
“If you look at other states, there's a drastic change in people's lives,” Worsk said. “There's no argument.”
Worsk said he is sure the stigma of illegal marijuana use of the past will disappear once people begin to understand the value of medical marijuana.
“When people are suffering and see results, it makes a big difference,” Worsk said. “I've seen 85-year-olds who have never been exposed to cannabis happy and smiling because their symptoms have been relieved.”
Worsk said an incidental result of the dispensary could be a positive effect on the dire opioid crisis in the county, which took the lives of 92 people last year.
Experts say many become addicted to prescription pain medications as a result of pain from surgeries, injuries or diseases.
“Butler as a community has gone through hard times, and this has the ability to change some lives for the positive,” he said.
Charlie Bachtell, CY+ co-founder, said the company's grow operation in Brookville, Jefferson County, has seen its first harvest and the first products will be sold starting Feb. 15.
He said the flower on the marijuana plant is not used in any products.“These are very medicinally focused forms,” Bachtell said. “The products are consistent and have repeatable results akin to professional medicine.”Medical marijuana is available at CY+ as capsules, waxes and other additives for e-cigs or “vapes,” spray tinctures, lotions, transdermal patches, and as a strong oil in a syringe that is normally given to terminally ill patients in extreme discomfort.The oil is normally for those suffering with stage 4 cancer and contains a low amount of THC and very high cannabidiol, known as CBD.A dose the size of a grain of rice can be administered under the tongue or in food. The patient can increase the dosage to one gram if necessary.Bachtell said as an example of cost, a bottle of 30 capsules averages about $45.He said CY+ is establishing a community benefit plan to assist those who are unable to pay, as well as a similar program for veterans.“The state has encouraged the development of low-cost options and coupon programs for those with a financial need,” Bachtell said.Briggs, of Export, Westmoreland County, said there were days when she stopped counting her son Ryan's seizures once she tallied 400.Today, he has fewer than 100 thanks to medical marijuana, and those are simple twitches of the hand or arm that go unnoticed if he is covered in a blanket.She said although he was always carefully placed in soft furniture with no hard surfaces nearby, his skin would still be bruised from the violent seizures.The side effects of the pharmaceuticals prescribed to Ryan were horrible, said Briggs, as opposed to the lack of side effect from medical marijuana.She said the new treatment has also allowed her son to sleep, as the seizures kept him awake.“At one point, he seized for 72 hours straight,” Briggs said.Briggs has noticed cognitive changes in her son since he began treatment with medical marijuana, including locking eyes with his siblings for the first time.“There's an awakening ... an awareness,” she said through tears.Briggs went to other states for medical marijuana products before the passage of medical marijuana in Harrisburg.Butler Police Chief Ron Brown also attended the grand opening on Thursday. Brown would only say he encourages the community to educate itself on medical marijuana.Trent Hartley, a CY+ co-founder, said he and all the staff are anxious to get busy providing relief to patients.“It's a very exciting day for Butler, Pa.,” he said.More information is available at www.CYdispensary.com.
