Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Just about every week, Cranberry's planning and development office gets a call from someone interested in locating a business related to medical marijuana in the township, Ron Henshaw, director of the office, said.
"It's mostly about dispensaries, but we have had a few people interested in growing operations," he said.
Township officials decided it was time to update zoning laws when the calls started coming in on a regular basis as the state Legislature debated and then approved the growing, processing and dispensing of marijuana for medical use.
Other municipalities in the region also are tackling the issue, many with zoning updates and others with zoning exception applications.
The Allegheny County planning office has received proposed zoning law changes from Frazer, Collier, Kilbuck and Moon, said Amie Downs, county communications director.
Frazer has adopted new changes, she said. And on Feb. 8, Collier commissioners voted to amend highway commercial district zoning to allow for medical marijuana dispensaries and grower/processor facilities on Campbells Run Road.
The county only reviews the proposed changes. All zoning updates must be voted on by the municipality.
Bethel Park, too, has set a hearing for Feb. 27 on the issue.
In Westmoreland County, one zoning hearing board has granted a variance for a proposed medical marijuana growing operation.
Maitri Medicinals proposed placing a growing and processing plant in a building on Finley Road in Rostraver. The township zoning board granted an exception Jan. 11 to the local ordinance to conduct light industry in the area, which is zoned for commercial use. Mark Shire, solicitor for the board, said the Pennsylvania company will likely need a building permit from the township before it can occupy the building, but that won't happen until the company gets a license from the state.
"Maitri Medicinals is simply evaluating potential locations for their medicinal cannabis cultivation site," said Dick Roberts, spokesman for the company.
Also in Westmoreland, Irwin began working on ordinance changes in December, with officials expressing the desire to be able to control where any marijuana operation may be located.
The Medical Marijuana Act allows for up to 12 grower/processor permits and up to 27 dispensary permits statewide, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health website.
Under the act, the state is divided into six regions, with two grower/processor permits allowed in each region for the first phase.
Southwestern Pennsylvania is Region 5, which consists of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Armstrong, Westmoreland, Washington, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Cambria and Somerset counties.
Within that region, only Allegheny, Butler, Washington and Westmoreland counties are cleared to have primary dispensaries. Two dispensaries are allowed in Allegheny County, and one in each of the others, according to the state health department website.
Applications for grower/processor permits and dispensary permits won't be accepted until Monday, but Mr. Henshaw said Cranberry wanted to be ready for the new industry. The township adopted its new regulations in December.
He said it added medical marijuana to the acceptable list of items grown in agriculturally zoned areas and allows medical marijuana dispensaries anywhere pharmacies are located in the township.
He noted that the changes aren't as restrictive as the state law, which requires dispensaries to be in free-standing buildings and at least 1,000 feet from schools and day care centers.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Allegheny County Communities Prepare For Cannabis Cultivation
Author: Laure Cioffi
Contact: (412) 263-1100
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"It's mostly about dispensaries, but we have had a few people interested in growing operations," he said.
Township officials decided it was time to update zoning laws when the calls started coming in on a regular basis as the state Legislature debated and then approved the growing, processing and dispensing of marijuana for medical use.
Other municipalities in the region also are tackling the issue, many with zoning updates and others with zoning exception applications.
The Allegheny County planning office has received proposed zoning law changes from Frazer, Collier, Kilbuck and Moon, said Amie Downs, county communications director.
Frazer has adopted new changes, she said. And on Feb. 8, Collier commissioners voted to amend highway commercial district zoning to allow for medical marijuana dispensaries and grower/processor facilities on Campbells Run Road.
The county only reviews the proposed changes. All zoning updates must be voted on by the municipality.
Bethel Park, too, has set a hearing for Feb. 27 on the issue.
In Westmoreland County, one zoning hearing board has granted a variance for a proposed medical marijuana growing operation.
Maitri Medicinals proposed placing a growing and processing plant in a building on Finley Road in Rostraver. The township zoning board granted an exception Jan. 11 to the local ordinance to conduct light industry in the area, which is zoned for commercial use. Mark Shire, solicitor for the board, said the Pennsylvania company will likely need a building permit from the township before it can occupy the building, but that won't happen until the company gets a license from the state.
"Maitri Medicinals is simply evaluating potential locations for their medicinal cannabis cultivation site," said Dick Roberts, spokesman for the company.
Also in Westmoreland, Irwin began working on ordinance changes in December, with officials expressing the desire to be able to control where any marijuana operation may be located.
The Medical Marijuana Act allows for up to 12 grower/processor permits and up to 27 dispensary permits statewide, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health website.
Under the act, the state is divided into six regions, with two grower/processor permits allowed in each region for the first phase.
Southwestern Pennsylvania is Region 5, which consists of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Armstrong, Westmoreland, Washington, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Cambria and Somerset counties.
Within that region, only Allegheny, Butler, Washington and Westmoreland counties are cleared to have primary dispensaries. Two dispensaries are allowed in Allegheny County, and one in each of the others, according to the state health department website.
Applications for grower/processor permits and dispensary permits won't be accepted until Monday, but Mr. Henshaw said Cranberry wanted to be ready for the new industry. The township adopted its new regulations in December.
He said it added medical marijuana to the acceptable list of items grown in agriculturally zoned areas and allows medical marijuana dispensaries anywhere pharmacies are located in the township.
He noted that the changes aren't as restrictive as the state law, which requires dispensaries to be in free-standing buildings and at least 1,000 feet from schools and day care centers.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Allegheny County Communities Prepare For Cannabis Cultivation
Author: Laure Cioffi
Contact: (412) 263-1100
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
