Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
When discussing medical marijuana, the conversation inevitably turns to whether the federal government or a state will legalize recreational use of the drug.
That's not the case when you're talking to Josh Stanley, who has been called the "pioneer" of Colorado's medical marijuana industry.
Stanley and his business, Citiva Medical, are focused squarely on the medicinal uses of the cannabis plant. With New York legalizing the use of medical marijuana, the company is looking to be one of five licensed growers of the drug in the state.
For Stanley, the question is why move to New York? Why not stay in Colorado where he became a leading voice for the medical marijuana movement?
In short, it's about science.
"I believe that (New York's medical marijuana law) is restrictive. I think it's narrow," Stanley said in a phone interview. "And I think that if we are to zero in on the actual science of the plant, which I believe has the opportunity to create a new biotech revolution and I believe New York is poised to be the epicenter of that biotech revolution through a narrow and pragmatic approach."
Stanley said he was his first patient. An outdoor enthusiast, he suffered a series of falls while paragliding and had a series of back surgeries. While recovering from the surgical procedures, he became addicted to opiates.
A friend introduced him to medical cannabis, which not only helped him end his addiction to opiates but also led to his interest in the science behind medical marijuana.
"I thought nobody has really given this plant the credo that it needs," he said. "It really dumbfounded me why, for the last 85 years, we put a cap on this. The more I read, the more I became confident that this was something I needed to get into."
At the time, living in Colorado, the state didn't have regulations in place for medical marijuana. Stanley opened the state's first "true" medical marijuana dispensary and he hired a lobbyist. He had a hand in drafting legislation that legalized medical marijuana in Colorado and encouraged research and development of the drug.
But when Colorado started allowing the recreational use of marijuana, Stanley said it "started to cloud the waters" and made the state's regulatory system "very pro-recreation." That's when he decided to shift his efforts to New York.
"I don't deal in recreational cannabis. I deal in medical cannabis," he said. "I visited a clinic recently in Colorado and I saw a 21-year-old kid in line to purchase joints for recreational purposes. And then behind him is a woman in a wheelchair in a bandana who lost her hair and is obviously going through chemotherapy. To me, that's an issue. And to me, that clouds the true intent behind the medicinal purpose of it. So, I look for a state to be a leader in regards to the medical advocacy and science of it. New York has done that and has essentially batten down the hatches, locked the doors and windows so that recreation is not going to creep in the back door.
"Now, whether I'm for or against recreational cannabis has nothing to do with it. But what we do is medical and so in order to do that, we don't need any wink-wink, nod-nod to a back door to recreation. We're very, very serious about what we do and taking a pragmatic and narrow and scientifically-minded approach to this is going to help save many children's lives in the state of New York sooner rather than later rather than clouding the issue with some type of recreational or even some type of a therapeutic model."
Citiva Medical is eying the Seneca Army Depot, which was used by the U.S. Army from 1941 to 2000, for its growing operation. The proposal is supported by officials in Romulus, the Seneca County town where the depot is located.
Romulus Supervisor David Kaiser said the project could benefit both the company and the town.
"We think it's the right thing to do," he said. "We think the site is good for them here because it's out of the urban areas. Hopefully it provide a good number of jobs here in the town and in Seneca County."
Stanley said the depot site is strong from a security standpoint, which is needed to ensure the growing facility is protected. He said, if approved, the operations at the depot would include the growing, farming and extraction of medical marijuana.
The idea of having a medical marijuana growing operation in Romulus has generated a mixed response, Kaiser said. He said the residents that have concerns want to know more about the proposal and what safeguards would be in place.
"Once people become educated, as I was and as the town board was, I believe it will be generally supported," he said.
But first, Citiva Medical needs to acquire a state license.
Stanley expects a competitive process. While the state Department of Health has issued regulations for the program, the guidelines for companies seeking to supply medical marijuana in New York haven't been released.
Once state health officials unveil the guidelines and issue a request for proposals, Stanley is confident Citiva Medical will be successful in obtaining a license to grow medical marijuana.
"I feel like our company, we're real different than what most people do," he said. "We seek for these standardization models. We seek to mimic clinical trials that have been done in Israel and Spain and other places. I feel like we're certainly a bit of a different animal.... I think we stand a good chance."
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Eye on NY: Meet the man behind proposed medical marijuana growing facility in Seneca County
Author: Robert Harding
Contact: robert.harding@lee.net
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
Website: Auburnpub.com | Your number one source for Auburn and Cayuga County news
That's not the case when you're talking to Josh Stanley, who has been called the "pioneer" of Colorado's medical marijuana industry.
Stanley and his business, Citiva Medical, are focused squarely on the medicinal uses of the cannabis plant. With New York legalizing the use of medical marijuana, the company is looking to be one of five licensed growers of the drug in the state.
For Stanley, the question is why move to New York? Why not stay in Colorado where he became a leading voice for the medical marijuana movement?
In short, it's about science.
"I believe that (New York's medical marijuana law) is restrictive. I think it's narrow," Stanley said in a phone interview. "And I think that if we are to zero in on the actual science of the plant, which I believe has the opportunity to create a new biotech revolution and I believe New York is poised to be the epicenter of that biotech revolution through a narrow and pragmatic approach."
Stanley said he was his first patient. An outdoor enthusiast, he suffered a series of falls while paragliding and had a series of back surgeries. While recovering from the surgical procedures, he became addicted to opiates.
A friend introduced him to medical cannabis, which not only helped him end his addiction to opiates but also led to his interest in the science behind medical marijuana.
"I thought nobody has really given this plant the credo that it needs," he said. "It really dumbfounded me why, for the last 85 years, we put a cap on this. The more I read, the more I became confident that this was something I needed to get into."
At the time, living in Colorado, the state didn't have regulations in place for medical marijuana. Stanley opened the state's first "true" medical marijuana dispensary and he hired a lobbyist. He had a hand in drafting legislation that legalized medical marijuana in Colorado and encouraged research and development of the drug.
But when Colorado started allowing the recreational use of marijuana, Stanley said it "started to cloud the waters" and made the state's regulatory system "very pro-recreation." That's when he decided to shift his efforts to New York.
"I don't deal in recreational cannabis. I deal in medical cannabis," he said. "I visited a clinic recently in Colorado and I saw a 21-year-old kid in line to purchase joints for recreational purposes. And then behind him is a woman in a wheelchair in a bandana who lost her hair and is obviously going through chemotherapy. To me, that's an issue. And to me, that clouds the true intent behind the medicinal purpose of it. So, I look for a state to be a leader in regards to the medical advocacy and science of it. New York has done that and has essentially batten down the hatches, locked the doors and windows so that recreation is not going to creep in the back door.
"Now, whether I'm for or against recreational cannabis has nothing to do with it. But what we do is medical and so in order to do that, we don't need any wink-wink, nod-nod to a back door to recreation. We're very, very serious about what we do and taking a pragmatic and narrow and scientifically-minded approach to this is going to help save many children's lives in the state of New York sooner rather than later rather than clouding the issue with some type of recreational or even some type of a therapeutic model."
Citiva Medical is eying the Seneca Army Depot, which was used by the U.S. Army from 1941 to 2000, for its growing operation. The proposal is supported by officials in Romulus, the Seneca County town where the depot is located.
Romulus Supervisor David Kaiser said the project could benefit both the company and the town.
"We think it's the right thing to do," he said. "We think the site is good for them here because it's out of the urban areas. Hopefully it provide a good number of jobs here in the town and in Seneca County."
Stanley said the depot site is strong from a security standpoint, which is needed to ensure the growing facility is protected. He said, if approved, the operations at the depot would include the growing, farming and extraction of medical marijuana.
The idea of having a medical marijuana growing operation in Romulus has generated a mixed response, Kaiser said. He said the residents that have concerns want to know more about the proposal and what safeguards would be in place.
"Once people become educated, as I was and as the town board was, I believe it will be generally supported," he said.
But first, Citiva Medical needs to acquire a state license.
Stanley expects a competitive process. While the state Department of Health has issued regulations for the program, the guidelines for companies seeking to supply medical marijuana in New York haven't been released.
Once state health officials unveil the guidelines and issue a request for proposals, Stanley is confident Citiva Medical will be successful in obtaining a license to grow medical marijuana.
"I feel like our company, we're real different than what most people do," he said. "We seek for these standardization models. We seek to mimic clinical trials that have been done in Israel and Spain and other places. I feel like we're certainly a bit of a different animal.... I think we stand a good chance."
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Eye on NY: Meet the man behind proposed medical marijuana growing facility in Seneca County
Author: Robert Harding
Contact: robert.harding@lee.net
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
Website: Auburnpub.com | Your number one source for Auburn and Cayuga County news
