Medical marijuana dispensaries in Pennsylvania are bracing for a surge in new customers when vaporizable “flower” — the most popular and recognizable form of cannabis — goes on sale on Wednesday, Aug. 1.

“We’re expecting 300 to 400 patients at our Abington store the first day,” said Chris Visco, co-founder of TerraVida Holistic Centers. “People will likely be in line at 8 a.m. We’re hiring an extra security guard and an extra valet parking person. This is a game-changer.”

TerraVida, which also has outlets in Malvern and Sellersville, is among a handful of dispensary chains in the Keystone State that will get the first shipments of the whole-plant product. Gov. Wolf’s office confirmed the development late Thursday.

Wolf’s spokesman, J.J. Abbott, said several of the state’s growers were expected to start shipping the high-potency buds early on Sunday to about a dozen outlets, primarily in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh metropolitan regions. More stores are slated to come online later this month, he said.

Since the state’s medical marijuana program launched in mid-February, patients have grumbled about the limited selection of relatively expensive cannabis oils, pills and tinctures. Flower sales were prohibited. [Read more at The Inquirer]