2nd medical marijuana dispensary opening in Monroeville

Pennsylvania’s latest medical marijuana dispensary will open Wednesday in Monroeville.

The Rise Monroeville store will be the 98th dispensary in the state, the sixth in Allegheny County and the second in Monroeville.

Tim Hawkins, Pennsylvania market president for Chicago-based Green Thumb Industries, which owns the Rise dispensaries, said demand for medical marijuana is high enough that many communities — not just major cities — can support multiple dispensaries. A shopping hub like Monroeville is an especially good fit, he said.

“We’ve been at that point for a little while now honestly,” he said. “A town like Monroeville, we see people will travel hours for good product selection.”

The new dispensary opens 9 a.m. Wednesday at 3838 William Penn Highway in building that most recently housed a Sears Appliance Showroom.

It is the 18th Rise dispensary in Pennsylvania, joining locations in Latrobe, Erie and New Castle. Rise owns 15 locations, and operates three that are owned by another company, KW Ventures.

It is Green Thumb Industries’ 49th dispensary nationwide.

Monroeville’s existing dispensary, The Healing Center, opened in September 2018 on Mall Circle Drive.

Demand for medical marijuana remains high in Pennsylvania. Since the program started in early 2018 card holders have bought an estimated $780 million in product.

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way people shop for medical marijuana, with many now placing their order online and picking it up at the store.

Intermittent product shortages are an ongoing problem across the industry, though Rise Monroeville will have plenty of product on hand for its opening, Hawkins said.

GTI owns a grower/processor in Danville, and buys product from the state’s other grower/processors.

Rise Monroeville will look a lot like the other Rise dispensaries across the state, Hawkins said.

“What we’re trying to do is build a brand with the same customer service, the same great product selection, so when people come to this Rise it will look very similar,” he said.

Proceeds from the store’s first day will benefit 412 Food Rescue, a nonprofit that takes unsellable but good food from retailers, restaurants, caterers and others to provide it to those in need.

“We are appreciative of their investment in the community by supporting us as we carry out our mission to end food waste and eliminate hunger,” Jessi Marsh, senior director of strategic partnerships for 412 Food Rescue, said in a statement.