Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
The lobby of Green Point Wellness looks more like the entrance to a nice spa.
Marbled counters. Fancy TVs. Soft benches. All of it colored with minimal green lighting.
And while wellness is in the name, the soon-to-be-open location in Linthicum isn't a new place to get a massage.
It will be the county's first officially licensed medical cannabis dispensary once the state awards co-owners and founders Tony and Laura Toskov their phase 2 license. The company currently has a temporary license and expects to go before the state one last time on Jan. 24.
Once they receive final approval from the state, they hope to open about two weeks after all of their employees' paperwork is processed.
On Thursday, it was the first medical cannabis dispensary to get the county's approval.
"We were going for class," Tony Toskov said. "It's not pot. It's medical cannabis. We wanted to send a different message."
Medical cannabis – commonly called medical marijuana or pot – is a new frontier for Maryland. In 2013, the state approved the medical use of pot, but it's taken years for approvals of the first growers and dispensers. The state plans to have 102 dispensaries sprinkled throughout various districts.
Anne Arundel County will be home to 12 of those licenses, including Green Point Wellness in Linthicum. People seeking medical cannabis treatment will need doctor's approval first.
It's been a slow start for Maryland's medical marijuana industry.
Most of the state's growers only started cultivating this summer. The first dispensary was given the green light to open in July. More than 20 now have final approval. The remaining dispensaries have what's called temporary licenses – or phase 1 – and have to receive their phase 2 license before selling.
Getting to that point requires finding a location, abiding by county zoning rules and opening the business. At Green Point Wellness, essentially everything is in place. There is an area where the medical cannabis will be displayed, Tony Toskov said, as he stands next to a U-shaped black countertop. This room is tinted green as well. A security guard will check IDs as people come in, and the lobby will be capped at 12 visitors at a time.
Tony and Laura Toskov were in the restaurant business together before deciding to take a shot at one of the state's 102 dispensaries. They chose Linthicum because Tony Toskov grew up in Ferndale. The couple currently lives in Pasadena.
It makes it easier to build relationships with the community nearby, Tony Toskov said.
More than 800 organizations applied for licenses. Tony Toskov said he spent about $70,000 in consulting fees throughout the application process. Once he had the temporary permit, he then spent money flying to and from Colorado – sometimes in the same day – to learn more about the design of dispensaries.
"I had never seen one before," he said.
When pressed on why the two went through all the trouble, the Toskovs were adamant the state's transition to medical marijuana would have an impact on the opioid crisis.
People who are seeking pain medication can use medical cannabis to ease themselves off those drugs, Laura Toskov said.
While the Toskovs hope their business will bring comfort to patients – Laura Toskov combats migraines and already has her medical cannabis card – the medical marijuana industry has been controversial.
Marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug, and street use in Maryland is a civil offense. This puts pot in the same category as heroin, LSD, ecstasy and other highly dangerous drugs.
It's a civil offense in Maryland to have a small amount of pot for personal use. Intent to distribute laws are felonies and come with jail time.
In August, there were headlines of "the first marijuana overdose death" after an 11-month-old was exposed to cannabis. Those headlines blew things out of proportion. The report was by two doctors who had studied the 11-month-old's heart inflammation and were looking into how it could have been related to use of medical cannabis, according to a report by The Washington Post.
But despite there being little to no evidence of the overdose implications of marijuana, politicians across the country have been slow to adapt to changing public perception. Recreational marijuana is only completely legal in a handful of states. It's also legal in Washington, D.C., but can't be bought or sold, only grown.
Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh was resistant to the change as well, but was bound by the state's decision to allow medical sale of the drug. Anne Arundel's rules are some of the most restrictive in the state.
Complying with the setbacks – not within 1,000 feet of a property line or dwelling – was a challenge, Tony Toskov said.
But that's all done with and the rules have been followed, he said. Now it's about opening the location and serving patients in need.
This isn't like the movies, he said; it isn't about getting stoned, it's about helping people cope with medical issues.
"If you have a loved one that wanted to try this medication to get help, would you support them?" he asked.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: A look inside Anne Arundel County's first upcoming medical cannabis dispensary - Capital Gazette
Author: Chase Cook
Contact: Contact Us - Capital Gazette
Photo Credit: Matthew Cole
Website: Home - Capital Gazette
Marbled counters. Fancy TVs. Soft benches. All of it colored with minimal green lighting.
And while wellness is in the name, the soon-to-be-open location in Linthicum isn't a new place to get a massage.
It will be the county's first officially licensed medical cannabis dispensary once the state awards co-owners and founders Tony and Laura Toskov their phase 2 license. The company currently has a temporary license and expects to go before the state one last time on Jan. 24.
Once they receive final approval from the state, they hope to open about two weeks after all of their employees' paperwork is processed.
On Thursday, it was the first medical cannabis dispensary to get the county's approval.
"We were going for class," Tony Toskov said. "It's not pot. It's medical cannabis. We wanted to send a different message."
Medical cannabis – commonly called medical marijuana or pot – is a new frontier for Maryland. In 2013, the state approved the medical use of pot, but it's taken years for approvals of the first growers and dispensers. The state plans to have 102 dispensaries sprinkled throughout various districts.
Anne Arundel County will be home to 12 of those licenses, including Green Point Wellness in Linthicum. People seeking medical cannabis treatment will need doctor's approval first.
It's been a slow start for Maryland's medical marijuana industry.
Most of the state's growers only started cultivating this summer. The first dispensary was given the green light to open in July. More than 20 now have final approval. The remaining dispensaries have what's called temporary licenses – or phase 1 – and have to receive their phase 2 license before selling.
Getting to that point requires finding a location, abiding by county zoning rules and opening the business. At Green Point Wellness, essentially everything is in place. There is an area where the medical cannabis will be displayed, Tony Toskov said, as he stands next to a U-shaped black countertop. This room is tinted green as well. A security guard will check IDs as people come in, and the lobby will be capped at 12 visitors at a time.
Tony and Laura Toskov were in the restaurant business together before deciding to take a shot at one of the state's 102 dispensaries. They chose Linthicum because Tony Toskov grew up in Ferndale. The couple currently lives in Pasadena.
It makes it easier to build relationships with the community nearby, Tony Toskov said.
More than 800 organizations applied for licenses. Tony Toskov said he spent about $70,000 in consulting fees throughout the application process. Once he had the temporary permit, he then spent money flying to and from Colorado – sometimes in the same day – to learn more about the design of dispensaries.
"I had never seen one before," he said.
When pressed on why the two went through all the trouble, the Toskovs were adamant the state's transition to medical marijuana would have an impact on the opioid crisis.
People who are seeking pain medication can use medical cannabis to ease themselves off those drugs, Laura Toskov said.
While the Toskovs hope their business will bring comfort to patients – Laura Toskov combats migraines and already has her medical cannabis card – the medical marijuana industry has been controversial.
Marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug, and street use in Maryland is a civil offense. This puts pot in the same category as heroin, LSD, ecstasy and other highly dangerous drugs.
It's a civil offense in Maryland to have a small amount of pot for personal use. Intent to distribute laws are felonies and come with jail time.
In August, there were headlines of "the first marijuana overdose death" after an 11-month-old was exposed to cannabis. Those headlines blew things out of proportion. The report was by two doctors who had studied the 11-month-old's heart inflammation and were looking into how it could have been related to use of medical cannabis, according to a report by The Washington Post.
But despite there being little to no evidence of the overdose implications of marijuana, politicians across the country have been slow to adapt to changing public perception. Recreational marijuana is only completely legal in a handful of states. It's also legal in Washington, D.C., but can't be bought or sold, only grown.
Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh was resistant to the change as well, but was bound by the state's decision to allow medical sale of the drug. Anne Arundel's rules are some of the most restrictive in the state.
Complying with the setbacks – not within 1,000 feet of a property line or dwelling – was a challenge, Tony Toskov said.
But that's all done with and the rules have been followed, he said. Now it's about opening the location and serving patients in need.
This isn't like the movies, he said; it isn't about getting stoned, it's about helping people cope with medical issues.
"If you have a loved one that wanted to try this medication to get help, would you support them?" he asked.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: A look inside Anne Arundel County's first upcoming medical cannabis dispensary - Capital Gazette
Author: Chase Cook
Contact: Contact Us - Capital Gazette
Photo Credit: Matthew Cole
Website: Home - Capital Gazette
