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But she’s not alone. Any number of small farmers in the state have been priced out of this budding industry and regulations prevent minority communities from participating as well, making both growing and selling an exclusive privilege in Pennsylvania. THE MEDICAL CANNABIS INDUSTRY IN PENNSYLVANIA Pennsylvania’s Medical Marijuana Act, also known as Act 16, was signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf in April 2016 to “provide long overdue medical relief to patients and families who could benefit from this treatment,” Wolf said the day of the signing. Along with ensuring a safe outlet for the purchase of medical cannabis, Act 16 also shields individuals and physicians from civil and criminal penalties. Since, the legalization of medical cannabis has created a new source of revenue for Pennsylvania. It was projected to bring in almost $8 million just from permit application fees during the 2017-2018 fiscal year. Growers and processors could pull in an estimated $5 million during the program’s first year, and dispensaries at least $50 million. In the future, the industry could lead to millions more for the state and permit holders if recreational use is legalized. A report from Pennsylvania’s Auditor General estimates recreational marijuana could be a $1.66 billion industry, and that estimate does not include the economic activity generated by jobs and businesses created to support the industry, according to the report, just direct
aura Jean Kahl owns Rabbit Hollow Farm in Washington County, Pennsylvania. A fairly rural county of just over 200,000 people, it sits south of Pittsburgh bordering West Virginia. The 50 acres of land has been in Kahl’s family since the Great Depression. Her great grandfather purchased the farm by means of employment through the United States Postal Service, and over the years, his sons were able to build their own homes and raise their families on the land. After Kahl’s grandmother passed away in 2015, she made the decision to take over the farm with her husband. Kahl raises pigs and chickens and is “experimenting” with produce, growing over a dozen types of vegetables. Rabbit Hollow also presses cider using apples from its orchard, and it's working toward becoming certified maple syrup provider.
Not long ago, Kahl was attracted to the idea of introducing a new crop to her farmland: cannabis.
“I got excited about medical [cannabis],” she said, “[but] when I started to loosely look into it, I realized I
pretty much had to have a million dollars.” Although that may seem
like an exaggeration, the money it takes to submit an application to grow medical cannabis, let alone buy a permit if that application is accepted, is well outside
Rabbit Hollow Farm
of Kahl’s reach.
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March 2019
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