Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
Three groups selected by the state to operate New Hampshire's first medical marijuana dispensaries are still a long way from being open for business next year.
Although there is still more to come in what has been a lengthy approval process, the groups have at least preliminary clearance to move forward and work out the locations of the dispensaries and who will be working there.
"I think it's most significant for the patients," said Ted Rebholz, board president for Temescal Wellness Inc., one of the three winners announced by the state last week. "There are a lot of citizens of New Hampshire that have been waiting a long time for access to medical cannabis."
Temescal, which lists its principal office at 645 Harvey Road in Manchester, learned late last month that it was approved to run dispensaries in two of the four regions selected by the state, but could not speak about it until it was announced by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Locations Assigned
Temescal was granted the Seacoast area as well as the region including Monadnock and Upper Valley.
Prime Alternative Treatment Centers of NH Inc. of Concord has Hillsborough and Merrimack counties while Sanctuary ATC of Salem controls the region covering Grafton, Carroll and Coos counties.
The not-for-profit charitable trusts, selected from a pool of 14 applicants, have 90 days to finalize the next steps, most notably picking a location and obtaining local approval there.
"I am certainly hoping within the next month, we have a definite idea of where the four (alternative treatment centers) are going to be physically situated," said John Martin, manager of the bureau of licensing and certification at DHHS.
Public hearings must be held in communities where the dispensaries are proposed and local zoning officers must certify the dispensaries comply with local zoning laws. The proposed locations would be announced in advance of the public hearings, Martin said.
Cultivation Choice
Martin said a dispensary can cultivate and dispense marijuana in the same location or cultivate at a second location, which also would require similar approvals. The state also will conduct two inspections prior to the dispensaries opening.
"We're looking at eight or nine months, give or take, before the first (alternative treatment center) will be in a position to begin dispensing," Martin said.
Rebholz said Temescal was been working on a list of potential sites since filing the application. Rebholz said the announcement by DHHS is significant because it allows the group to focus on areas within its zones and enter more formal discussions to gain local approval.
Rebholz declined to say how long the list is and what towns are on it.
The state law allowing medical marijuana has been a work in progress ever since it was passed in 2013; the groups could still face significant hurdles on the local level.
"We want to make sure we take the utmost care and deliberation in working with local stakeholders, community groups," Rebholz said. "We did do a lot of outreach in a limited number of towns in the run-up to the application, and now we're basically continuing that discussion. We have a lot of towns on the list at this point in time, and we're looking forward to winnowing that down in the next few weeks."
Different Issues
Dr. Gary Woods, a retired hand surgeon from Bow who sits on the Temescal board, said the state was right to move cautiously considering how contentious the subject can be. Woods said the state law is about medicinal use and should not be confused with efforts in other states to legalize marijuana overall or decriminalize it.
"With the cannabis issue, it's been entirely an emotional approach and sort of a referendum state-by-state approach," Woods said.
Rebholz said ideally, Temescal would like to have its two dispensaries up and running by the first few months of 2016. He said opening dates will be more clear once it knows where Temescal plans to operate and gains local approval.
"That process could be swift or we may take more time to make sure everyone is comfortable with what we're doing," he said.
Lower Percentages
Martin said lessons from other states indicate between 1 and 2 percent of the population use the dispensaries.
"We have a pretty tight law in New Hampshire," he said. It requires having one of the conditions specifically laid out in the list of conditions and having one or more symptoms laid out in the list of symptoms, he said.
Among the conditions are cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, chronic pancreatitis and a traumatic brain injury.
Symptoms include chemotherapy-induced anorexia, wasting syndrome or a "severe pain that has not responded to previously prescribed medication or surgical measures or for which other treatment options produced serious side effects, constant or severe nausea, moderate to severe vomiting, seizures, or severe, persistent muscle spasms."
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical marijuana moving forward, but it's a long, slow process | New Hampshire
Author: Doug Alden
Contact: Xsendmail Tips - unionleader.com - Manchester, NH
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: unionleader.com - Manchester, NH
Although there is still more to come in what has been a lengthy approval process, the groups have at least preliminary clearance to move forward and work out the locations of the dispensaries and who will be working there.
"I think it's most significant for the patients," said Ted Rebholz, board president for Temescal Wellness Inc., one of the three winners announced by the state last week. "There are a lot of citizens of New Hampshire that have been waiting a long time for access to medical cannabis."
Temescal, which lists its principal office at 645 Harvey Road in Manchester, learned late last month that it was approved to run dispensaries in two of the four regions selected by the state, but could not speak about it until it was announced by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Locations Assigned
Temescal was granted the Seacoast area as well as the region including Monadnock and Upper Valley.
Prime Alternative Treatment Centers of NH Inc. of Concord has Hillsborough and Merrimack counties while Sanctuary ATC of Salem controls the region covering Grafton, Carroll and Coos counties.
The not-for-profit charitable trusts, selected from a pool of 14 applicants, have 90 days to finalize the next steps, most notably picking a location and obtaining local approval there.
"I am certainly hoping within the next month, we have a definite idea of where the four (alternative treatment centers) are going to be physically situated," said John Martin, manager of the bureau of licensing and certification at DHHS.
Public hearings must be held in communities where the dispensaries are proposed and local zoning officers must certify the dispensaries comply with local zoning laws. The proposed locations would be announced in advance of the public hearings, Martin said.
Cultivation Choice
Martin said a dispensary can cultivate and dispense marijuana in the same location or cultivate at a second location, which also would require similar approvals. The state also will conduct two inspections prior to the dispensaries opening.
"We're looking at eight or nine months, give or take, before the first (alternative treatment center) will be in a position to begin dispensing," Martin said.
Rebholz said Temescal was been working on a list of potential sites since filing the application. Rebholz said the announcement by DHHS is significant because it allows the group to focus on areas within its zones and enter more formal discussions to gain local approval.
Rebholz declined to say how long the list is and what towns are on it.
The state law allowing medical marijuana has been a work in progress ever since it was passed in 2013; the groups could still face significant hurdles on the local level.
"We want to make sure we take the utmost care and deliberation in working with local stakeholders, community groups," Rebholz said. "We did do a lot of outreach in a limited number of towns in the run-up to the application, and now we're basically continuing that discussion. We have a lot of towns on the list at this point in time, and we're looking forward to winnowing that down in the next few weeks."
Different Issues
Dr. Gary Woods, a retired hand surgeon from Bow who sits on the Temescal board, said the state was right to move cautiously considering how contentious the subject can be. Woods said the state law is about medicinal use and should not be confused with efforts in other states to legalize marijuana overall or decriminalize it.
"With the cannabis issue, it's been entirely an emotional approach and sort of a referendum state-by-state approach," Woods said.
Rebholz said ideally, Temescal would like to have its two dispensaries up and running by the first few months of 2016. He said opening dates will be more clear once it knows where Temescal plans to operate and gains local approval.
"That process could be swift or we may take more time to make sure everyone is comfortable with what we're doing," he said.
Lower Percentages
Martin said lessons from other states indicate between 1 and 2 percent of the population use the dispensaries.
"We have a pretty tight law in New Hampshire," he said. It requires having one of the conditions specifically laid out in the list of conditions and having one or more symptoms laid out in the list of symptoms, he said.
Among the conditions are cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, chronic pancreatitis and a traumatic brain injury.
Symptoms include chemotherapy-induced anorexia, wasting syndrome or a "severe pain that has not responded to previously prescribed medication or surgical measures or for which other treatment options produced serious side effects, constant or severe nausea, moderate to severe vomiting, seizures, or severe, persistent muscle spasms."
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical marijuana moving forward, but it's a long, slow process | New Hampshire
Author: Doug Alden
Contact: Xsendmail Tips - unionleader.com - Manchester, NH
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: unionleader.com - Manchester, NH
