Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program expects to solicit applications from aspiring growers, processors and dispensaries in early 2017, health department officials said this week after unveiling draft regulations that will govern the outlets that sell cannabis.

Since April 17, when Gov. Wolf signed the medical marijuana bill into law, the health department has granted “safe harbor” letters to 103 parents and caregivers, Secretary of Health Karen Murphy said at a news conference. The letters permit them to obtain out-of-state marijuana products for  children who suffer from any of  17 medical conditions for which the law allows cannabis to be used. Use by adults is not yet permitted.

Temporary regulations for growers and processors will be published Saturday in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, she said, adding the health department had received “nearly 1,000 comments from members of the community, the industry and our legislative partners”  and were used to guide the final document. [Read more at The Inquirer]