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Compassionate Sciences announced it will build South Jersey's second medical marijuana facility in Camden County.
Work on the Bellmawr project began after the nonprofit won zoning and construction approvals from the municipality and the state reviewed its business plans, spokesman Andrei Bogolubov said.
The dispensary and a nearby growing facility will be located in an industrial area just off Route 42. Another medical marijuana dispensary is located in Egg Harbor Township.
Once construction is complete and the center receives regulatory approval from the state, Compassionate Sciences can start dispensing marijuana to patients and their caregivers who have registered with the state Department of Health.
Bogolubov estimated it could be six months before the center opens its doors at 111 Coolidge Ave. The facility has enough capacity to serve up to 3,000 patients.
N.J.'s long delay
New Jersey has been widely criticized by medical marijuana advocates for delays in implementing its Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, which was signed into law by Gov. Jon Corzine more than 3½ years ago.
Roughly 1,000 patients have registered with the state's medical marijuana program so far. As of June, only 124 registered patients had been able to obtain marijuana legally through the state's lone operational dispensary.
Compassionate Sciences is one of six nonprofits designated by the state to apply for an operations permit through a tightly regulated medical marijuana program.
Greenleaf in Montclair opened last year. Compassionate Care Foundation Inc. in Egg Harbor will begin dispensing marijuana next month. Compassionate Care Centers of America Foundation Inc. of Woodbridge also has received approval to start growing.
The Bellmawr center will be the first alternative treatment center in New Jersey to be led by a pharmacist. Will Statter, Compassionate Sciences' board chairman and executive director, founded an independent pharmacy in northeast New Jersey and serves as director of two community health care institutions.
"We are delighted to begin work on a new part of the state's health care system in Bellmawr – it's a great community," Statter said. "Many patients need access to this program, and we will do all we can to open the doors as soon as possible."
Mayor OK with plan
Bellmawr Mayor Frank Filipek said the center received approval from the planning board in November and has since taken out construction permits to renovate a warehouse. He said he had no problem with a dispensary in the borough.
"This will be one of the most highly regulated businesses in New Jersey. Our community supports those in need and welcomes a health care facility that will help relieve pain and suffering while also creating jobs."
Bogolubov said the community has embraced the nonprofit and the location's easy access to local highways will make it easy for patients to visit what he said will be a "quiet medical office type of environment."
Jay Lassiter of Cherry Hill called the announcement another "baby step" toward giving patients access to cannabis. The 41-year-old lobbied for the bill and was among the state's first registered medical marijuana patients.
"Over the course of the last 3½ years, I've learned to appreciate the baby steps."
Lassiter uses marijuana two or three times a month to help his stomach cope with the heavy combination of medication to manage HIV. He drives to the Montclair center and said many more patients in hospice, battling cancer or AIDS, or suffering from glaucoma, could benefit.
"I think that people who access these dispensaries – people like me – are really looking forward to showing our hosts in Bellmawr the gratitude we feel for opening their neighborhood to help us out," Lassiter added.
"I think the mayor of Bellmawr has shown a lot of courage for opening up the door."
At least one taxpayer in the area said he was upset by the plans, which he recently heard about from a friend in law enforcement. Paul Devine, who owns a building near the dispensary site, is concerned about security and the traffic the facility will draw.
"I'm a property owner here, and I should be informed. I don't know if anything can be done, but I'm upset," he said. "My main gripe is there's been no notification of this thing going on."
Bogolubov said that the state requires heavy security measures at the dispensary and that two cameras will be monitored. The nonprofit also has discussed its plans with Bellmawr's police chief.
"We're very sympathetic to those concerns," Bogolubov said. "We understand it's a new thing.
"It's a new program, and everyone needs to get comfortable with it."
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source:thedailyjournal.com
Author: Kim Mulford
Work on the Bellmawr project began after the nonprofit won zoning and construction approvals from the municipality and the state reviewed its business plans, spokesman Andrei Bogolubov said.
The dispensary and a nearby growing facility will be located in an industrial area just off Route 42. Another medical marijuana dispensary is located in Egg Harbor Township.
Once construction is complete and the center receives regulatory approval from the state, Compassionate Sciences can start dispensing marijuana to patients and their caregivers who have registered with the state Department of Health.
Bogolubov estimated it could be six months before the center opens its doors at 111 Coolidge Ave. The facility has enough capacity to serve up to 3,000 patients.
N.J.'s long delay
New Jersey has been widely criticized by medical marijuana advocates for delays in implementing its Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, which was signed into law by Gov. Jon Corzine more than 3½ years ago.
Roughly 1,000 patients have registered with the state's medical marijuana program so far. As of June, only 124 registered patients had been able to obtain marijuana legally through the state's lone operational dispensary.
Compassionate Sciences is one of six nonprofits designated by the state to apply for an operations permit through a tightly regulated medical marijuana program.
Greenleaf in Montclair opened last year. Compassionate Care Foundation Inc. in Egg Harbor will begin dispensing marijuana next month. Compassionate Care Centers of America Foundation Inc. of Woodbridge also has received approval to start growing.
The Bellmawr center will be the first alternative treatment center in New Jersey to be led by a pharmacist. Will Statter, Compassionate Sciences' board chairman and executive director, founded an independent pharmacy in northeast New Jersey and serves as director of two community health care institutions.
"We are delighted to begin work on a new part of the state's health care system in Bellmawr – it's a great community," Statter said. "Many patients need access to this program, and we will do all we can to open the doors as soon as possible."
Mayor OK with plan
Bellmawr Mayor Frank Filipek said the center received approval from the planning board in November and has since taken out construction permits to renovate a warehouse. He said he had no problem with a dispensary in the borough.
"This will be one of the most highly regulated businesses in New Jersey. Our community supports those in need and welcomes a health care facility that will help relieve pain and suffering while also creating jobs."
Bogolubov said the community has embraced the nonprofit and the location's easy access to local highways will make it easy for patients to visit what he said will be a "quiet medical office type of environment."
Jay Lassiter of Cherry Hill called the announcement another "baby step" toward giving patients access to cannabis. The 41-year-old lobbied for the bill and was among the state's first registered medical marijuana patients.
"Over the course of the last 3½ years, I've learned to appreciate the baby steps."
Lassiter uses marijuana two or three times a month to help his stomach cope with the heavy combination of medication to manage HIV. He drives to the Montclair center and said many more patients in hospice, battling cancer or AIDS, or suffering from glaucoma, could benefit.
"I think that people who access these dispensaries – people like me – are really looking forward to showing our hosts in Bellmawr the gratitude we feel for opening their neighborhood to help us out," Lassiter added.
"I think the mayor of Bellmawr has shown a lot of courage for opening up the door."
At least one taxpayer in the area said he was upset by the plans, which he recently heard about from a friend in law enforcement. Paul Devine, who owns a building near the dispensary site, is concerned about security and the traffic the facility will draw.
"I'm a property owner here, and I should be informed. I don't know if anything can be done, but I'm upset," he said. "My main gripe is there's been no notification of this thing going on."
Bogolubov said that the state requires heavy security measures at the dispensary and that two cameras will be monitored. The nonprofit also has discussed its plans with Bellmawr's police chief.
"We're very sympathetic to those concerns," Bogolubov said. "We understand it's a new thing.
"It's a new program, and everyone needs to get comfortable with it."
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source:thedailyjournal.com
Author: Kim Mulford
