New York: Medical Marijuana Grower Eyes Old Army Depot

Jacob Redmond

Well-Known Member
The Town of Romulus Board meeting provided a letter of support to a medical company looking to grow marijuana on 20 acres of the old Seneca Army Depot. Mike Palombo, Director of Research and Development for Civita Medical, a research and development company with property in the former Army Depot, gave the introduction. The property is located near Seneca Bio-energy; it would be all fenced in and secure with employee parking as part of Phase I.

Civita bought property in the Depot in 2014. Palombo reminded the public that the Governor Cuomo's office has approved legislation for medical marijuana, and said the company was seeking one of five New York State licenses to grow medical marijuana.

He said the project would use about twenty acres. "We will take the existing pads where the buildings are collapsing and falling down and put a greenhouse on top of the pads." They will start with about 20 jobs — a small project. "We would hope that it would grow into something a little bigger and still use the existing pads. With your support tonight we will be able to submit an application to the state for one of the five licenses which the governor is going to approve."

Josh Stanley, the developer of the project, said he is a medical cannabis educator and an entrepreneur. "I opened the first true medical marijuana clinic with very a pragmatic, narrow medical focus in Colorado years ago. Our company has chosen the State of New York because of its extremely narrow and pragmatic laws which force this plant into true medical use - not toward any type of recreational use of the plant."

Stanley continued, "We are not going to be selling the product here in Romulus. It will go to small locations - decided upon by the state - where it can be sold retail in response to a doctor's prescription. We will be working with thousands of physicians across the state who must recommend this before anyone can have access to it. That is what I love about the State of New York. This is why I moved out of Colorado. We had 21-year old kids coming in on their skateboards and telling us that their doctor said that they could have marijuana. But, that's not what we do. To take a more pointed approach to this, New York is — out of 24 states - the one to button down, lock the windows, lock the doors, so that we are not leaving anything open for any access to recreation."

This company does scientific work targeted to specific illnesses and disease states — mainly those which involve auto-immune dysfunctions — for example, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, ALS, Alzheimer's, and various cancers. "More particularly, over the last eight years, with a compound which has become known as become known as Charlotte's Web. It is a strain that is found in the compound called cannabinol — a non-psychoactive compound; it has no psychoactive effectiveness."

Their products have had "alarmingly good results using this with children with pediatric intractable epilepsy." Stanley said, "This plant is working, and working very well. There are literally thousands of these children here in the state of New York - which is why I moved here. I am now living here full-time — We consider it our cause to bring the treatment to the children here in New York State."

Licenses are supposed to be granted between July 1 and July 15. Only those applications with a letter of support will be considered. Stanley pointed out that New York State approval is more stringent than FDA approval: "In order to come out with an FDA pharmaceutical, there is a 20%, plus or minus, margin of error in every pill that you take or that your doctor prescribes. In our products, we have a 5% margin of error, plus or minus, mandated by the State of New York."

Kaiser asked the Planning Board if the plan would fit in with the town's zoning. Bouchard felt that it would fit into the agricultural-industrial designation. In summary, Kaiser offered, "If the board feels comfortable, I feel like passing a resolution tonight in support of this venture."

Attorney Steven Getman said he was a little uncomfortable because of waivers and the Planning/Zoning Boards not having had an opportunity to look into the details. However, the two men said they didn't need a waiver yet, and that planning and zoning boards would be able to look at the project at a later stage. At the moment, their concern was to get support to get the state license.

Kaiser felt that it would be appropriate to provide a letter of support for the project from the Town of Romulus board. The motion by Collinswood, seconded by Jackson, passed unanimously.

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Full Article: Medical Marijuana Grower Eyes Old Depot - Ithaca Times : News
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