A Vineyard businessman has been granted a provisional license by the state Department of Public Health to operate a registered medical marijuana dispensary in West Tisbury, a state health official said Tuesday.

Geoff Rose, doing business as Patient Centric of Martha’s Vineyard, a nonprofit, won the license — a first for the Island — following a complicated year-long application process with the state. A number of other approvals are still needed, including two more state licenses —one to cultivate and another to sell — and a special permit from the town, among other things, before a dispensary and cultivation facility could open.

But speaking to the Gazette by telephone Tuesday, Mr. Rose expressed confidence in the outcome.

“This has been a journey,” he said. He confirmed plans to operate the dispensary and cultivation center at 505 State Road in West Tisbury, formerly the site of a paint and hardware store situated in the North Tisbury business district. Mr. Rose said he has a lease for the building from owner Barry Reeves.

Mr. Rose is the co-founder of Our Island Club, which gives discounts to members at various local businesses including grocery stores.

Massachusetts passed a law in 2012 allowing the sale of medical marijuana. The law allows for at least one dispensary in every county. But the licensing process has been complicated and arduous. Last year the DPH issued new guidelines, in effect restarting the licensing application process, and sending four applicants from the Vineyard that had made it to a previous final application phase back to the drawing board.

Mr. Rose said Tuesday that he believed Patient Centric is the only current applicant from Dukes County.

“It’s been a complex, comprehensive application process and it’s taken since the end of June until yesterday,” he said. “This is the first phase,” he added.

His 68-page application is on record with the DPH.

Mr. Rose said if all hurdles can be cleared, Patient Centric could open its facility by the fall of 2017.

He declined to discuss his business plan in detail, but said there are 100 registered marijuana patients in Dukes County.

“That may seem like a small number, but if you look at the number as a percentage of the total population — that 100 patients represents about .6 per cent of total population,” he said, adding: “About 26,000 patients are registered in the state, which represents about .4 per cent of the population. So here we are in a county without a dispensary that’s demonstrating there’s a significant need here.”

A press release from Patient Centric Tuesday said Mr. Rose will be chief executive officer. Henry Geller will be the chief operating officer, and Barbara Conroy will be the chief financial officer.

Patient Centric will consult with Ceres Project Management, a Vermont company that has developed marijuana dispensaries in the Green Mountain state, and Sounder Systems Inc., a Plymouth electrical contractor that specializes in security systems.

The board of directors for the nonprofit will include Eleanor S. Beth, Julia Burgess and Dr. Judith A. Merion; all live on the Island.

“We are excited to begin the process to serve the patients of Martha’s Vineyard,” the press release said.