Supervisors from Williams and Hanover townships aren’t rolling out the red carpet for marijuana dispensaries or greenhouses.
But if someone wants to open one, they want to be prepared.
Williams Township supervisors on Nov. 9 authorized solicitor Jonathan Reiss to draft an ordinance regulating medical marijuana in the township.
If they don’t have any law on the books, the medical marijuana provider might try to dictate terms to the township instead of the other way around, according to township Supervisor George Washburn.
"Our solicitor said it would be the smart thing to do," Washburn said. The law would restrict medical marijuana to industrial areas of the township.
Work started in April to implement Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program. The program should be in place by late 2017 or early 2018. Doctors will be able to prescribe it to those with serious medical conditions such as cancer or epilepsy.
The state will authorize up to 150 dispensaries for the drug.
Hanover Township will host a public hearing Dec. 20 on its medical marijuana zoning proposal. If the supervisors don’t vote on it that night, they’ll vote Jan. 10. Washburn said the Williams supervisors will probably vote on their law in December.
The Hanover proposal would restrict marijuana growing to greenhouses with electronic locking systems. They couldn’t be larger than 20,000 square feet and couldn’t allow fumes to spread outside.
The greenhouses or dispensaries can’t be within 1,000 feet of a school or day care center, according to the proposal.
The proposed law prohibits drive-through windows, outdoor seating or home delivery from any marijuana dispensary.
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Full Article: How 2 Lehigh Valley Towns Are Making Way For Medical Marijuana
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