Robert Celt
New Member
Executives from a company looking to bring a medical marijuana growing facility to Easton touted the operation's medical and economic benefits to the town council during a special work session on Monday, Jan. 4.
Over the summer, Alternative Medicine Maryland, a health care venture formed in 2014 that focuses on medical cannabis, took over the plan from CBD Wellness Group to locate a medical marijuana growing, processing and distribution facility at the old Black & Decker Building at 28712 Glebe Road off the state Route 322 bypass.
The group is, however, among the 146 growing license applicants received by the Natalie M. LaPrade Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, which will grant up to 15 growing licenses in the state and is behind in the original license granting schedule due to the number of grower, processor and dispensary applications it received.
But, Alternative Medicine Maryland's legal counsel, former state lawmaker John Pica Jr., told the town council that the group is confident in its chances of getting a license.
The focus outlined on Monday by Alternative Medicine Maryland CEO Dr. Greg Daniel and Director of Logistics John "Jack" Robertson, a Talbot County resident, was on the medical benefits of cannabis, stressing the point many times throughout the work session.
Daniel said the group is moving away from "the Colorado experience."
"There's a tendency in the community to interchange medical and recreational. We're not doing that (recreational)," Daniel said. "We're saying we are physicians, our approach is a pharmaceutical approach and we really want to develop appropriate drug formulations that can specifically treat the appropriate disease processes."
Daniel said the group plans to grow marijuana and, essentially, extract the medically beneficial compounds in it, then formulate the compounds to treat specific diseases, like in a capsulized form to treat epilepsy. It would also keep tabs on how well the medicine is doing for particular diseases and adjust accordingly, he said.
One of the group's partners is Universal Botanicals, a company from Canada that Daniel called one of the top applicants in the Canadian marketplace which has designed a "state-of-the-art" grow facility. The plan is to bring the company's technology to Easton, he said.
The finished product would then be transported to dispensaries, with stringent security measures in place at both the facility and in the transportation vehicle.
The operation would occupy 50,000 square feet of the old Black & Decker building, expanding to 100,000 square feet in its second year.
The economic impact is projected, in the first year, at more than $4 million in payroll and taxes, more than $660,000 in utilities, about $204,000 in local retail spending and more than $4 million in real estate costs.
"This number just encompasses the Easton area," Daniel said. "When you expand it beyond the Easton area, you find that medical cannabis, as an industry, really does provide a significant engine for any community."
Daniel, Pica and Robertson were probed with questions from the Easton town council on Monday night.
Councilman Ron Engle inquired about jobs.
"Many of our talented young people, once they get their degrees, they leave because there's no industry here," Engle said. "Are you going to help us alleviate some of that problem with your job creation?"
The facility is expected to provide at least 45 jobs, with a projection of 52 jobs in the first year and 58 jobs at full operation.
"These are not going to be McDonald-type jobs. They're going to be actually middle class jobs that would be able to provide some decent wages along with decent benefits to the individuals who are going to be working at this facility," Daniel said.
The organization would look to hire well-qualified professionals in horticulture, security, construction, laboratory science, logistics and management, with an eye on the Easton job market first before searching elsewhere, Daniel said.
With some legislators looking for law changes to allow recreational marijuana in Maryland, Councilman Pete Lesher asked the group if Alternative Medicine Maryland would lobby for legislative change.
Daniel said that while the group would not lobby for a law change for recreational marijuana, it would consider the opportunity to participate in the recreational market if marijuana was legalized. He also stressed, however, that the companies focus to date has been on the medical benefits of marijuana, not marijuana for recreational purposes.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Maryland: Company Confident It Can Bring Marijuana Facility To Easton
Author: Josh Bollinger
Contact: The Star Democrat
Photo Credit: Seth Perlman
Website: The Star Democrat
Over the summer, Alternative Medicine Maryland, a health care venture formed in 2014 that focuses on medical cannabis, took over the plan from CBD Wellness Group to locate a medical marijuana growing, processing and distribution facility at the old Black & Decker Building at 28712 Glebe Road off the state Route 322 bypass.
The group is, however, among the 146 growing license applicants received by the Natalie M. LaPrade Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, which will grant up to 15 growing licenses in the state and is behind in the original license granting schedule due to the number of grower, processor and dispensary applications it received.
But, Alternative Medicine Maryland's legal counsel, former state lawmaker John Pica Jr., told the town council that the group is confident in its chances of getting a license.
The focus outlined on Monday by Alternative Medicine Maryland CEO Dr. Greg Daniel and Director of Logistics John "Jack" Robertson, a Talbot County resident, was on the medical benefits of cannabis, stressing the point many times throughout the work session.
Daniel said the group is moving away from "the Colorado experience."
"There's a tendency in the community to interchange medical and recreational. We're not doing that (recreational)," Daniel said. "We're saying we are physicians, our approach is a pharmaceutical approach and we really want to develop appropriate drug formulations that can specifically treat the appropriate disease processes."
Daniel said the group plans to grow marijuana and, essentially, extract the medically beneficial compounds in it, then formulate the compounds to treat specific diseases, like in a capsulized form to treat epilepsy. It would also keep tabs on how well the medicine is doing for particular diseases and adjust accordingly, he said.
One of the group's partners is Universal Botanicals, a company from Canada that Daniel called one of the top applicants in the Canadian marketplace which has designed a "state-of-the-art" grow facility. The plan is to bring the company's technology to Easton, he said.
The finished product would then be transported to dispensaries, with stringent security measures in place at both the facility and in the transportation vehicle.
The operation would occupy 50,000 square feet of the old Black & Decker building, expanding to 100,000 square feet in its second year.
The economic impact is projected, in the first year, at more than $4 million in payroll and taxes, more than $660,000 in utilities, about $204,000 in local retail spending and more than $4 million in real estate costs.
"This number just encompasses the Easton area," Daniel said. "When you expand it beyond the Easton area, you find that medical cannabis, as an industry, really does provide a significant engine for any community."
Daniel, Pica and Robertson were probed with questions from the Easton town council on Monday night.
Councilman Ron Engle inquired about jobs.
"Many of our talented young people, once they get their degrees, they leave because there's no industry here," Engle said. "Are you going to help us alleviate some of that problem with your job creation?"
The facility is expected to provide at least 45 jobs, with a projection of 52 jobs in the first year and 58 jobs at full operation.
"These are not going to be McDonald-type jobs. They're going to be actually middle class jobs that would be able to provide some decent wages along with decent benefits to the individuals who are going to be working at this facility," Daniel said.
The organization would look to hire well-qualified professionals in horticulture, security, construction, laboratory science, logistics and management, with an eye on the Easton job market first before searching elsewhere, Daniel said.
With some legislators looking for law changes to allow recreational marijuana in Maryland, Councilman Pete Lesher asked the group if Alternative Medicine Maryland would lobby for legislative change.
Daniel said that while the group would not lobby for a law change for recreational marijuana, it would consider the opportunity to participate in the recreational market if marijuana was legalized. He also stressed, however, that the companies focus to date has been on the medical benefits of marijuana, not marijuana for recreational purposes.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Maryland: Company Confident It Can Bring Marijuana Facility To Easton
Author: Josh Bollinger
Contact: The Star Democrat
Photo Credit: Seth Perlman
Website: The Star Democrat