Prior to this week's announcement, regulators had capped the total number of available dispensaries in the state to no more than twelve.
The agency acknowledged in a statement, "Due to the growing patient population served by the Medicinal Marijuana Program over the course of the 2018 and 2019, and the projected future expansion outlined in the Department's Biennial Report, the Department has determined that additional ATCs are necessary to meet the needs of the population of qualified patients."