Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Lynn Township – Put it out there that you're planning to grow medical marijuana in the neighborhood, and people sit up and take notice.
More than 40 Lynn Township residents gathered at the Lynnport Community Fire Company Wednesday night, sitting on folding chairs as TruVo Health Care CEO Jeff Snyder and Chief Medical Officer Bruce Nicholson explained their plans to establish a marijuana growing and processing operation at the site of the former Blue Mountain Nursery.
"It really boils down to the patient and providing access to care, and improving patients' lives," Snyder said, explaining the company's reason for being to open the one-hour meeting.
Township residents' questions revolved mostly around the size, layout and appearance of the proposed growing and processing facility.
If it wins the required permits, TruVo plans a state-of-the-art, 25,000-square foot growing facility that would employ about 20 people and take six months to build. If the market is strong enough, TruVo could double its size.
"It will really look like a pole barn," Nicholson said, answering a question about the appearance of the operation, adding that it would have secure corrugated steel walls and a glass roof to maximize energy efficiency. The indoor growing operation also would collect and recycle all nutrients and pesticides used in cultivation.
Residents appeared relatively open to the idea, laughing, a little nervously, at Nicholson's occasional jokes. One resident asked whether the township supervisors would have the ability to say it didn't want medical marijuana in the township at all.
"We cannot control whether it happens," Supervisors Chairman Justin Smith told the room. "We can control where it happens." The property TruVo has selected appears to have acceptable zoning.
Toward the end of the one-hour meeting, several audience members asked if TruVo could detail its security measures.
They will be strict, said Tom Haffly, the company's cultivation expert. Access will be regulated by fingerprint scanners and security guards, the facility will be blanketed with surveillance cameras. Workers are required to wear uniforms without pockets to make it difficult for workers to steal marijuana.
When medical marijuana is shipped, it will be under heavy security.
"In New York, there are no armored vehicles, but there are armed guards in the vehicles, so they would have two of those folks and all the product is kept in a secured vault in the back of the vehicle," said Haffly, who worked for a company in New York state's medical marijuana industry.
Pennsylvania legalized medical marijuana in 2016. TruVo Health Care is one on hundreds of entities that are expected to apply for permits to grow and process or dispense medical marijuana in Pennsylvania. It hopes to focus on treating chronic pain and conducting clinical research.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health will begin accepting applications on Feb. 20 and expects to be able make medical marijuana available to patients suffering from any of 17 conditions specified in the law, by 2018.
TruVo would like to win two permits, one to grow and process medical marijuana and one to dispense it to patients. While Pennsylvania expects to award permits to 12 grower/processors and 27 dispensaries, the law allows only five entities to hold both kinds of permits.
If it gets both, TruVo believes it could employ 60 to 80 people within three years.
The state is also split up into regions. The Northeast region, which includes the Lehigh Valley, is allocated four dispensary permits, each allowing three locations, and two grower/processor permits. TruVo hopes to put one dispensary in Lehigh County, another in Northampton County and one in the Wilkes-Barre or Scranton areas.
Residents leaving the meeting were mostly supportive of the idea. "It's very interesting," said Barbara Herman. "I'm kind of interested in the process. I think its a good thing."
A few worried the facility might attract the attention of people with bad intentions to the township. "They talk about security," said Kathy Seneca, who lives a few miles from the proposed facility. "It seems like they security they are talking about is just cameras."
Dan Seneca, Kathy's husband, said he'd like to see a stronger human security presence.
"I'm not as concerned," he said. "It seems like it will be a highly regulated industry."
Nicholson, chief of Lehigh Valley Health Network's division of pain medicine, said after the meeting that he resigned this week from the Pennsylvania Department of Health's Medical Marijuana Advisory Board after talking with State Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon, a main force behind the state's medical marijuana legislation.
The board is not involved in reviewing applications, but it has provided guidance on the state's implementation of the medical marijuana law.
"I said I don't want there to be a conflict or a perception of a conflict," he said.
There's no guarantee TruVo will get a license, and there will be plenty of competition, including from out-of-state entities, Nicholson told the crowd. He said he thinks TruVo offers the state a truly local option for the Lehigh Valley, made up of local experts in growing, security and the medical aspects of the business rather than a team of outsiders.
"It's a long road ahead, but I think it's one worth taking," Nicholson said.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Lynn Township Neighbors Pepper Medical Marijuana Firm With Questions
Author: Scott Kraus
Contact: 610-820-6104
Photo Credit: The Morning Call
Website: The Morning Call
More than 40 Lynn Township residents gathered at the Lynnport Community Fire Company Wednesday night, sitting on folding chairs as TruVo Health Care CEO Jeff Snyder and Chief Medical Officer Bruce Nicholson explained their plans to establish a marijuana growing and processing operation at the site of the former Blue Mountain Nursery.
"It really boils down to the patient and providing access to care, and improving patients' lives," Snyder said, explaining the company's reason for being to open the one-hour meeting.
Township residents' questions revolved mostly around the size, layout and appearance of the proposed growing and processing facility.
If it wins the required permits, TruVo plans a state-of-the-art, 25,000-square foot growing facility that would employ about 20 people and take six months to build. If the market is strong enough, TruVo could double its size.
"It will really look like a pole barn," Nicholson said, answering a question about the appearance of the operation, adding that it would have secure corrugated steel walls and a glass roof to maximize energy efficiency. The indoor growing operation also would collect and recycle all nutrients and pesticides used in cultivation.
Residents appeared relatively open to the idea, laughing, a little nervously, at Nicholson's occasional jokes. One resident asked whether the township supervisors would have the ability to say it didn't want medical marijuana in the township at all.
"We cannot control whether it happens," Supervisors Chairman Justin Smith told the room. "We can control where it happens." The property TruVo has selected appears to have acceptable zoning.
Toward the end of the one-hour meeting, several audience members asked if TruVo could detail its security measures.
They will be strict, said Tom Haffly, the company's cultivation expert. Access will be regulated by fingerprint scanners and security guards, the facility will be blanketed with surveillance cameras. Workers are required to wear uniforms without pockets to make it difficult for workers to steal marijuana.
When medical marijuana is shipped, it will be under heavy security.
"In New York, there are no armored vehicles, but there are armed guards in the vehicles, so they would have two of those folks and all the product is kept in a secured vault in the back of the vehicle," said Haffly, who worked for a company in New York state's medical marijuana industry.
Pennsylvania legalized medical marijuana in 2016. TruVo Health Care is one on hundreds of entities that are expected to apply for permits to grow and process or dispense medical marijuana in Pennsylvania. It hopes to focus on treating chronic pain and conducting clinical research.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health will begin accepting applications on Feb. 20 and expects to be able make medical marijuana available to patients suffering from any of 17 conditions specified in the law, by 2018.
TruVo would like to win two permits, one to grow and process medical marijuana and one to dispense it to patients. While Pennsylvania expects to award permits to 12 grower/processors and 27 dispensaries, the law allows only five entities to hold both kinds of permits.
If it gets both, TruVo believes it could employ 60 to 80 people within three years.
The state is also split up into regions. The Northeast region, which includes the Lehigh Valley, is allocated four dispensary permits, each allowing three locations, and two grower/processor permits. TruVo hopes to put one dispensary in Lehigh County, another in Northampton County and one in the Wilkes-Barre or Scranton areas.
Residents leaving the meeting were mostly supportive of the idea. "It's very interesting," said Barbara Herman. "I'm kind of interested in the process. I think its a good thing."
A few worried the facility might attract the attention of people with bad intentions to the township. "They talk about security," said Kathy Seneca, who lives a few miles from the proposed facility. "It seems like they security they are talking about is just cameras."
Dan Seneca, Kathy's husband, said he'd like to see a stronger human security presence.
"I'm not as concerned," he said. "It seems like it will be a highly regulated industry."
Nicholson, chief of Lehigh Valley Health Network's division of pain medicine, said after the meeting that he resigned this week from the Pennsylvania Department of Health's Medical Marijuana Advisory Board after talking with State Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon, a main force behind the state's medical marijuana legislation.
The board is not involved in reviewing applications, but it has provided guidance on the state's implementation of the medical marijuana law.
"I said I don't want there to be a conflict or a perception of a conflict," he said.
There's no guarantee TruVo will get a license, and there will be plenty of competition, including from out-of-state entities, Nicholson told the crowd. He said he thinks TruVo offers the state a truly local option for the Lehigh Valley, made up of local experts in growing, security and the medical aspects of the business rather than a team of outsiders.
"It's a long road ahead, but I think it's one worth taking," Nicholson said.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Lynn Township Neighbors Pepper Medical Marijuana Firm With Questions
Author: Scott Kraus
Contact: 610-820-6104
Photo Credit: The Morning Call
Website: The Morning Call
