A second medical marijuana growing and processing facility is planned for April 2021 in Chester, writes Julia Mericle and Mike Larson for Philadelphia Business Journal.

The Healing Center out of Pittsburgh has bought 50 percent equity interest in Agronomed Biologics, which means further expansion in Pennsylvania.

Agronomed Biologics can open a new processing facility and six dispensaries in Pennsylvania as part of research with Drexel University College of Medicine.

Healing Center co-founder and CEO Chris Kohan said a growing and processing facility, as well as its first dispensary, will be built in Chester.

Chris Kohan discusses medical marijuana in Pennsylvania in this video.

Both facilities are expected to be operational in late April 2021.

Two more dispensaries are planned for southeastern Pennsylvania and three more in the southwest part of the state.

“For us, it was always about the patients,” Kohan said. “Having seen tens of thousands of them, [growth] was the next natural step.”

Agronomed Biologic’s partnership with Drexel will mean additional research on specific diseases.

“For us to do research with an accredited university and hopefully start to find sweet spots for particular conditions, that’s the main goal now,” he said.

Read more about The Healing Center’s plan for a marijuana growing and processing facility in Chester at Philadelphia Business Journal.