Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Bethlehem Township officials could vote on their first application for a medical marijuana business.
Township commissioners are to hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. Monday, June 5 on a medical marijuana dispensary being proposed in Lehigh Valley Industrial Park VI.
The dispensary would be the first to make use of the township's medical marijuana zoning ordinance. GuadoCo, LLC, a company doing business as Keystone Canna Remedies, is proposing to open a dispensary at 2467 Baglyos Circle. Located in a light industrial zone, it would be considered a conditional use, meaning it is allowed but requires a public hearing.
The township Planning Commission in April unanimously recommended approval.
Planning Commission Chairwoman Lee Snover said the facility would require minimal site work.
"I'm looking at it as a pharmacy and as long as they abide by the same rules as a pharmacy and have professionals and it's all secure and safe I don't object to it," Snover said. "We weren't alarmed by medical marijuana because pharmacies sell much stronger drugs."
Nathan Jones, township director of planning and economic development, said the application, which was submitted in April, wasn't a surprise. He said companies hoping to open dispensaries and processing plants have reached out to the township because of its easy access to routes 33 and 22 and Interstate 78.
"Several of the cold calls we received were from outfits who'd done operations in Colorado and were hoping to also set up Pennsylvania LLCs to get into the market now that the state's coming online for medical marijuana use," he said.
The application for the dispensary, which would serve as a place where state-approved patients suffering from one of 17 medical conditions could pick up doctor-recommended cannabis, was filed by members of the Guadagnino family, who run a medical practice in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Victor Guadagnino Jr. is working with his father, a cardiologist and internist, and his aunt, who runs a nonprofit to fight a rare and fatal genetic disorder that impacts children.
Guadagnino said his family liked Bethlehem Township because it's a medical hub. He said his family got in the business after caring for his late grandfather, who suffered from lung cancer. He said opiates used to treat the cancer seemed to deteriorate his grandfather's mental condition. He thinks medical marijuana would have eased his grandfather's pain while keeping his mental faculties intact.
Part of the group's application to Bethlehem Township emphasizes the potential for medical marijuana to reduce opioid use and notes a University of Pennsylvania study released in 2014 that found states with medical marijuana laws had a 24.8 percent lower average annual opioid overdose mortality rate compared to states without those laws.
Bethlehem Township passed an ordinance that allows for medical marijuana facilities in March. Municipalities around the Lehigh Valley have done the same to reflect the change in state law that allows for medical marijuana. Marijuana is still illegal under federal law.
Officials in Tunkhannock Township in Monroe County are expected to vote June 14 on a conditional use application for medical marijuana grower/processor from Natural Care, LLC, the township secretary/treasurer said.
Even with township approval, the Guadagninos will still need approval from the state, which is issuing a limited number of dispensary permits.
Department of Health spokeswoman April Hutcheson said the state aims to have a medical marijuana system up and running by early 2018. It's currently reviewing dispensary and grower applications and will give out a limited number of licenses. The state will issue permits to 27 dispensaries, with each dispensary allowed to open two additional locations for a total of potentially 81 locations in the state.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Bethlehem, Pa., news information and photos - The Morning Call
Author: Michelle Merlin
Contact: Morning Call Staff Contact List - The Morning Call
Photo Credit: Michelle Merlin
Website: Allentown, Lehigh Valley & Pennsylvania News - The Morning Call
Township commissioners are to hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. Monday, June 5 on a medical marijuana dispensary being proposed in Lehigh Valley Industrial Park VI.
The dispensary would be the first to make use of the township's medical marijuana zoning ordinance. GuadoCo, LLC, a company doing business as Keystone Canna Remedies, is proposing to open a dispensary at 2467 Baglyos Circle. Located in a light industrial zone, it would be considered a conditional use, meaning it is allowed but requires a public hearing.
The township Planning Commission in April unanimously recommended approval.
Planning Commission Chairwoman Lee Snover said the facility would require minimal site work.
"I'm looking at it as a pharmacy and as long as they abide by the same rules as a pharmacy and have professionals and it's all secure and safe I don't object to it," Snover said. "We weren't alarmed by medical marijuana because pharmacies sell much stronger drugs."
Nathan Jones, township director of planning and economic development, said the application, which was submitted in April, wasn't a surprise. He said companies hoping to open dispensaries and processing plants have reached out to the township because of its easy access to routes 33 and 22 and Interstate 78.
"Several of the cold calls we received were from outfits who'd done operations in Colorado and were hoping to also set up Pennsylvania LLCs to get into the market now that the state's coming online for medical marijuana use," he said.
The application for the dispensary, which would serve as a place where state-approved patients suffering from one of 17 medical conditions could pick up doctor-recommended cannabis, was filed by members of the Guadagnino family, who run a medical practice in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Victor Guadagnino Jr. is working with his father, a cardiologist and internist, and his aunt, who runs a nonprofit to fight a rare and fatal genetic disorder that impacts children.
Guadagnino said his family liked Bethlehem Township because it's a medical hub. He said his family got in the business after caring for his late grandfather, who suffered from lung cancer. He said opiates used to treat the cancer seemed to deteriorate his grandfather's mental condition. He thinks medical marijuana would have eased his grandfather's pain while keeping his mental faculties intact.
Part of the group's application to Bethlehem Township emphasizes the potential for medical marijuana to reduce opioid use and notes a University of Pennsylvania study released in 2014 that found states with medical marijuana laws had a 24.8 percent lower average annual opioid overdose mortality rate compared to states without those laws.
Bethlehem Township passed an ordinance that allows for medical marijuana facilities in March. Municipalities around the Lehigh Valley have done the same to reflect the change in state law that allows for medical marijuana. Marijuana is still illegal under federal law.
Officials in Tunkhannock Township in Monroe County are expected to vote June 14 on a conditional use application for medical marijuana grower/processor from Natural Care, LLC, the township secretary/treasurer said.
Even with township approval, the Guadagninos will still need approval from the state, which is issuing a limited number of dispensary permits.
Department of Health spokeswoman April Hutcheson said the state aims to have a medical marijuana system up and running by early 2018. It's currently reviewing dispensary and grower applications and will give out a limited number of licenses. The state will issue permits to 27 dispensaries, with each dispensary allowed to open two additional locations for a total of potentially 81 locations in the state.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Bethlehem, Pa., news information and photos - The Morning Call
Author: Michelle Merlin
Contact: Morning Call Staff Contact List - The Morning Call
Photo Credit: Michelle Merlin
Website: Allentown, Lehigh Valley & Pennsylvania News - The Morning Call
