Multi-state cannabis operators control 10 of the 16 Pennsylvania permits originally awarded to companies for the state’s southwest region, according to a NewsWorks Lab analysis of permit applications, Department of Health documents, Securities and Exchange Commission filings, and press releases. Curaleaf, Green Thumb Industries-owned RISE, Verano Holdings Corp.’s Zen Leaf, Sunnyside, and Jushi Holdings Inc.’s Beyond Hello now operate more than 100 dispensaries in the state – or more than half – according to the analysis.
In 2023, state Sen. Chris Gebhard (R), in prepared remarks in support of a bill to allow independent companies to apply for an additional permit published in the Legislative Journal, wrote that the state’s medical cannabis program “once looked to as an example of good government, promoting homegrown jobs and businesses in some of our more economically downtrodden communities, is now a program dominated by out-of-state companies.”
The legislation was ultimately successful, and about a dozen companies received grower-processor permits; however, multi-state operators still dominate the state’s industry.
In 2020, Trulieve Cannabis Corp purchased PurePenn and Keystone Relief Centers, which had grower-processor and dispensary licenses, respectively. The company now has 21 dispensaries across Pennsylvania, according to its website.
In 2024, Cresco Labs bought Keystone Integrated Care, which had two locations in the state.
Each of the cannabis companies with the most stores in Pennsylvania are publicly traded, according to Yahoo Finance, including Cresco, Verano, Green Thumb, Curaleaf, Trulieve, and Jushi Holdings Inc.
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