Plan for medical marijuana now, supervisors say

By Anya Tikka
DINGMAN TOWNSHIP — As Pennsylvania sets up a system to grow, sell, and regulate medical marijuana, what does that mean for towns like Dingman?
Township supervisors said they want to be ready for what’s coming.
“Town supervisors meet from time to time and discuss issues, and this is one that’s coming up," said supervisor’s Chair Tom Mincer at a recent board meeting.
For example, he said, they talked about what will happen if a government employee uses medical marijuana.
“What happens if an employee of ours has a marijuana garden in his house driving one of our vehicles?” Mincer asked.
“I suppose medical marijuana doesn’t have THC in it,” said township secretary/treasurer Karen Kleist, referring to the chemical compound in cannabis that gives a euphoric high
Mincer believes the doses in the medical product are low but that even the lowest doses can still have an effect.
“I think it must have something left in marijuana oils and pills," he said.
“But not as bad as smoking weed,” added Kleist. Just like how much one drinks, she said, it depends on how much a person smokes.
The question of dispensaries also came up.
“How does a dispensary fit in here?" asked Mincer. "And what if someone builds a growing facility in our township? Companies are applying right now, very large companies. They come out of Colorado, California. These are very large companies with a lot of money behind them putting them to bid."
Location, locationZoning laws will also need to be considered, he said.
“How does a marijuana dispensary fit in our zoning laws?” Mincer asked.
Dingman may someday face the situation of a township worker with a medical marijuana card operating machinery, or commercial drivers with cards.
“These are issues we need to think about in future,” he said.
Code enforcement officer Chris Wood mentioned drivers with marijuana cards just doing their job and getting into accidents.
“I can see lawyers are going to have a lot of fun with this," said Wood.
Mincer said much depends on what the state does.
He said people won't be able to just go to a dispensary and buy loose marijuana.
“It’s going to be pills and capsules — no brownies,” he said, “But I supposed you can crash them down.”
Some townships have already had zoning problems related to medical marijuana. Technically, a dispensary can set up right "in the middle of everything," he said, although they should be in commercial zone.
“Can you stick it right next to a supermarket for example?” Mincer said.
Security concerns are important, too, he said. Dispensaries shouldn't be located near certain places, like schools.
Supervisor Dennis Brink wondered if a dispensary would actually be a medical facility.
Mincer said they are designated "specially licensed facilities," and the laws regulating them are still works in progress. Almost all marijuana processing facilities are also growing facilities, with dispensaries attached. They are given special licenses.
The state has already started granting licenses, Mincer said. And the time for planning is now, he said, before a licensed facility comes to town.