Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
A medical marijuana dispensary could open in Bethlehem Township by early next year, and the owners and township officials want to assure the public that it won't be a place full of stoned hippies camped out on the lawn.
The operation still needs a state license, but the township commissioners Monday night approved a conditional use application for the facility to operate out of a 4,726-square-foot building at 2467 Bagylyos Circle in Lehigh Valley Industrial Park VI.
The company granted the approval is Guadco LLC of Brooklyn, N.Y., but would operate under the name of Keystone Canna Remedies, said company co-founder Victor Guadagnino.
During the hearing leading up to the commissioners decision, Guadagnino and company attorney, Gary Asteak of Easton, emphasized the serious nature of the product and the security measures such a business must follow.
Guadagnino, who holds a master's degree in bioethics from New York University, said that to begin with, customers must first be registered with the state to obtain marijuana and come with a doctor's prescription.
Walking into the building, he said, requires going through double doors that lock and then into a consultation room where the patient would speak to a doctor or pharmacist before moving on to the dispensing area.
"The main focus here is to educate the patient about their prescription. We also check for their medical ID card,'' he said.
He said the patient then moves on to a dispensing room, where they receive their prescription that could come in several forms: topical creams, tinctures or drops, sprays, pills or oils for vaporization.
The marijuana products which he said are all bar-coded from the grower, are delivered to an enclosed, secured loading area and stored in vaults while the entire facility would be equipped with several forms of 24-hour surveillance systems.
After the meeting, he said it is hard to say at this point how many people would be coming to the facility.
"It's difficult because much of that is dictated by physician involvement. On average, it is said 1 to 2 percent of the state population would use medical marijuana,'' he said.
In Brooklyn, he said the family has a medical practice specializing in cardiology, so this venture is new, which is why they are starting with the assistance of PDI Medical, a Chicago firm that operates medical marijuana facilities.
The issue of marijuana's image could have an impact on a neighboring business run by Maria Cintron. She operates a high-end "hot yoga" studio and has already heard fears from her customers about the dispensary.
"I have about 150 people coming every day. Some have told me they will take their business elsewhere because of the dispensary,'' she said.
However, Cintron said after the meeting she is confident an arrangement would be made to remedy the concerns.
Commissioner Tom Nolan said the township would hopefully provide some education about the facility to eliminate the image.
Guadagnino also said to Cintron he would also provide a forum for the public and her customers.
"This dispensary will be invisible with no impact on the area. It is for sick people. You have to be pretty damn sick to get a prescription. A pharmacy dispenses thousands of drugs every day. This place just one,'' said Asteak.
"Medical science has determined the medical benefits of marijuana and its use by professionals. It is a legal use. It will be a place for sick people to get their medicine,'' he said.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Bethlehem, Pa., news information and photos - The Morning Call
Contact: Morning Call Staff Contact List - The Morning Call
Photo Credit: KING 5 News
Website: Allentown, Lehigh Valley & Pennsylvania News - The Morning Call
The operation still needs a state license, but the township commissioners Monday night approved a conditional use application for the facility to operate out of a 4,726-square-foot building at 2467 Bagylyos Circle in Lehigh Valley Industrial Park VI.
The company granted the approval is Guadco LLC of Brooklyn, N.Y., but would operate under the name of Keystone Canna Remedies, said company co-founder Victor Guadagnino.
During the hearing leading up to the commissioners decision, Guadagnino and company attorney, Gary Asteak of Easton, emphasized the serious nature of the product and the security measures such a business must follow.
Guadagnino, who holds a master's degree in bioethics from New York University, said that to begin with, customers must first be registered with the state to obtain marijuana and come with a doctor's prescription.
Walking into the building, he said, requires going through double doors that lock and then into a consultation room where the patient would speak to a doctor or pharmacist before moving on to the dispensing area.
"The main focus here is to educate the patient about their prescription. We also check for their medical ID card,'' he said.
He said the patient then moves on to a dispensing room, where they receive their prescription that could come in several forms: topical creams, tinctures or drops, sprays, pills or oils for vaporization.
The marijuana products which he said are all bar-coded from the grower, are delivered to an enclosed, secured loading area and stored in vaults while the entire facility would be equipped with several forms of 24-hour surveillance systems.
After the meeting, he said it is hard to say at this point how many people would be coming to the facility.
"It's difficult because much of that is dictated by physician involvement. On average, it is said 1 to 2 percent of the state population would use medical marijuana,'' he said.
In Brooklyn, he said the family has a medical practice specializing in cardiology, so this venture is new, which is why they are starting with the assistance of PDI Medical, a Chicago firm that operates medical marijuana facilities.
The issue of marijuana's image could have an impact on a neighboring business run by Maria Cintron. She operates a high-end "hot yoga" studio and has already heard fears from her customers about the dispensary.
"I have about 150 people coming every day. Some have told me they will take their business elsewhere because of the dispensary,'' she said.
However, Cintron said after the meeting she is confident an arrangement would be made to remedy the concerns.
Commissioner Tom Nolan said the township would hopefully provide some education about the facility to eliminate the image.
Guadagnino also said to Cintron he would also provide a forum for the public and her customers.
"This dispensary will be invisible with no impact on the area. It is for sick people. You have to be pretty damn sick to get a prescription. A pharmacy dispenses thousands of drugs every day. This place just one,'' said Asteak.
"Medical science has determined the medical benefits of marijuana and its use by professionals. It is a legal use. It will be a place for sick people to get their medicine,'' he said.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Bethlehem, Pa., news information and photos - The Morning Call
Contact: Morning Call Staff Contact List - The Morning Call
Photo Credit: KING 5 News
Website: Allentown, Lehigh Valley & Pennsylvania News - The Morning Call
