Medical marijuana brings southcentral Pa. man more relief than any pill or treatment

One year since medical marijuana sales started in Pennsylvania, patients and advocates say it has changed lives and opened eyes.

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Peter DeVitis spent years relying on Big Pharma and acupuncture before finding a remedy that eased his chronic pain. 

After struggling for more than a decade with what he claimed was an undiagnosed case of diabetes that later caused nerve damage, the Chambersburg acupuncturist first turned to his own profession for help. 

But, it didn't make any difference.  

"I treat other people and they get good results, but working on me it was just getting progressively worse," he continued. 

MORE: Pa.'s medical marijuana sales topped $130 million in first year

Eventually, DeVitis did something he swore he would never do. He began taking multiple pharmaceutical drugs - nerve pain medications Lyrica and gabapentin, and the narcotic tramadol. 

"To be honest, in many ways they were a godsend, because my pain did go down to zero," DeVitis said. 

However, the switch came with unpleasant side effects. 

Not only did the medications leave him feeling fatigued, but DeVitis also noticed his muscles were getting tighter due to the large amount of caffeine he took daily to function, normally. 

He realized the path he was on could have some serious long-term effects on his body. So, once again, he decided to try a new, more natural option to manage his pain: medical marijuana. 

Turning over a new leaf 

DeVitis is one of thousands of Pennsylvanians who have started using the plant for medical reasons since it was legalized a little under three years ago. 


Organic Remedies marijuana dispensary will open at 900 Wayne Avenue, Chambersburg. Visitors will have to show medical marijuana card before entering the building at the corner of Orchard Drive and Wayne Avenue. Wochit

Governor Tom Wolf signed the bill into law on April 6, 2016, making medical marijuana available to residents suffering from various illnesses, including autism, cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and post-traumatic stress disorder, among others.

More than 100,000 residents have registered with the program, and about 80,000 of those have purchased an ID card to buy the remedy, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Health said. The product made it to the state's market almost two years after the bill was signed, on Feb. 15, 2018. 

MORE: Here's what it looks like in the medical marijuana dispensary in Chambersburg

Since then, dispensaries have popped up throughout Pennsylvania, with several of them in Franklin, Cumberland, Adams and York counties. According to the health department's website, these include Organic Remedies in Chambersburg, KNOX Medical in Hanover, Herbology in Gettysburg, and RISE in York and Carlisle. 

When the Chambersburg dispensary opened last March, pharmacist and co-owner, Eric Hauser, said the company focused on being a good community partner to try and reduce some of the stigma associated with medical marijuana. 

The business took steps to address concerns the public might have, such as holding educational events and inviting local health care providers, law enforcement and even residents to tour the building on specific days. 

"We tried to be very inviting and educate people on what this was, because I think a lot of people just have a thought of what this is, and it's probably like something from a Cheech and Chong movie than it is a real doctor's office and a real health care facility," Hauser continued. 

However, Jose Hidalgo, co-founder and CEO of KNOX Medical in Hanover, said the company wasn't concerned about this when it opened last June. 

"We knew there was support in the community, and we are very focused on becoming a part of the fabric of the community and being good neighbors," he added. 

MORE: Medical marijuana in PA: How to get a job, and a prescription

Like good community members, these dispensary owners' primary focus is treating and helping those they serve. 

Hauser jumped into the industry after spending more than 20 years working as a pharmacist for Rite Aid. He said he began looking into a career change, because he didn't feel like he was making a big enough difference. He was also intrigued by the stories he had heard about medical marijuana. 

"(It's) helping children with epilepsy, (it's) helping people with Parkinson's disease, (it's) helping people with pain almost to the point where it's too good to be true," he said. "How could this one drug do all of this?"

Once the bill was signed, he partnered with an entrepreneur he met in Harrisburg. The team later became one of the few in the state to be awarded a medical marijuana license. 

Organic Remedies first opened in Enola, Cumberland County, before another store was added in Franklin County. According to Hauser, he and his co-owner wanted to put the dispensary where they could help the most people. They chose Chambersburg, because he said they felt the area has a high proportion of prospective patients suffering from Lyme disease and its effects - such as chronic pain and inflammation - who would benefit from the product.  

MORE:Here are the doctors who can prescribe medical marijuana in Pa.

For Hidalgo and several of his team members at KNOX, the decision to join the industry was a personal one.

He shared the story of a man, now a customer experience specialist at the dispensary, who had had trouble transitioning into civilian life after serving with the military in Afghanistan. He began researching the uses of medical marijuana, and then applied for a job with the company, because he is very passionate about how it can help others. 

"The industry is filled with those who share (his) commitment, and want to be a part of the positive change in health and wellness that is taking place in Pennsylvania, around our country and around the world," Hidalgo added. 

Why use medical marijuana? 

Now that the treatment is more accessible throughout the state, more residents are discovering just how effective it is. 

Since starting to use the product last spring, DeVitis has been able to take less medication. Although he still somewhat relies on his prescriptions, he said he has reduced his Lyrica intake by 60 percent, his caffeine intake by 70 percent, his opiate use by 33 percent and his long-acting insulin use by 20 percent. He mentioned he noticed he doesn't use as much short-term insulin, as well. 

"To be able to come off the medications this much and not have the pain return tells me it has to be doing something," he continued. 

Medical marijuana benefits also extend beyond the patient. Both owners talked about how they take pride in seeing their work positively affect their clients' lives. 

In the 11 months Organic Remedies has been open, Hauser said he has helped more patients there than he did over 28 years at Rite Aid, and that some of them had tried traditional medicine and treatments with no luck before finding significant relief with medical marijuana. He estimated he has been able to successfully treat 98 percent of the 4,000 patients he has seen. 

MORE: Here's where you can get dry leaf medical marijuana in Pa. 

"It's offering something to people that have little to no hope," he continued. 

Hidalgo has also seen first-hand the healing power of the product. The KNOX CEO told the story of a young man who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, who had to immediately move from his car to a wheelchair when he first started coming to the dispensary because moving even a few steps was difficult. Now, he can walk into the store with the help of a walker. 

"The wheelchair is gone," he said. "His outlook on life is so much better, and his muscle spasms have abated. When you hear stories like this, you know you are making a positive difference in the community, and that is what people are telling us." 


Karen Diller discusses how medical marijuana helped reduce her daughter, Karly's, seizures by about 70 percent during clinical trials at a New York hospital. Vicky Taylor, Public Opinion

Growing the industry    

Despite the stigma attached to medical marijuana, local communities' acceptance of these businesses has grown over the past few months. 

Hauser said he expects this trend to continue with more education, "because this is not about a recreational-type use. This is about helping people. The end." 

More local health care providers are also jumping on the medical marijuana bandwagon. Hauser added doctors who didn't want to speak with Organic Remedies a year ago are now referring patients there. 

"They've come to realize that this is real, and this is a valid treatment for a lot of conditions," he continued.  

Even DeVitis said he has seen how more patients and doctors alike are considering it as a viable option. 

He's had doctor appointments run over time as physicians asked him questions. He said he has seen several former acupuncture patients - some who he never thought would ever turn to this approach - in the dispensary, and he has also recommended it to clients. 

The public's slow shift to a more natural remedy could have something to do with problems regarding Big Pharma, according to DeVitis. 

"So many people are just so frustrated with the medications they're on or limited to take, that I think people are just wanting to try something else at this point," he said. 

MORE: Grassroots Cannabis to produce 1.5 tons of marijuana in Chambersburg

There is also a big push in the medical community to find other treatments for chronic pain, Hauser said, noting this option is safer compared to opioid medications. 

"No one's ever died from taking too much marijuana," he continued. "You might not feel too well, but you're certainly not going to die from it, versus the opioids. People are dying daily in every community in Pennsylvania from it, and in every community across the United States." 

With the industry gaining momentum over the past year, Hauser and Hidalgo both predicted more dispensaries will open up throughout Pennsylvania. 

Hauser said it is a lucrative industry, because it's regulated and there are a limited number of licenses to go around. But, that also means there are companies looking to obtain licenses just to sell them to the highest bidder on the market. 

"Local people that really wanted to make a difference and help people sometimes never got the opportunity, because they just didn't score well enough to get a license," he added. 

However, Hauser said the state expanded its medical marijuana efforts in December by awarding 24 new dispensary licenses, each of which a company can use to open three stores. He said this move could bring more dispensaries in the next 12-18 months.  

Production of medical marijuana will also increase. Last July, the state awarded 13 grow licenses, Hauser added. These operations are also already in the area, with Grassroots Cannabis in Chambersburg and Ilera Healthcare LLC in Taylor Township. 

Regardless of where the industry is headed, Hauser and Organic Remedies' focus is still on the community - changing lives one leaf at a time. 

"We really want to be part of the community," he said. "We don't want to be just another store on the street corner. The whole reason we're doing this is to help communities that we serve, and Chambersburg is a great place to be able to do that." 

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