For Pennsylvania's newly licensed medical marijuana businesses and their lawyers, the next six months is set to be a mad dash as they try to meet a state-imposed deadline for becoming operational.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health named the 12 companies Tuesday that won permits to grow and process medical marijuana. The licensed dispensaries, which will sell the medical cannabis, are expected to be announced in the near future.

The successful applicants have six months to make their facilities ready for business. The Department of Health has aimed to have a fully operational medical cannabis program in the first quarter of 2018.