Medicial marijuana facility possible for Greene County
AGRiMED Industries LLC, a medical marijuana cultivation company, said it wants to build a $25 million facility to cultivate medical marijuana in Cumberland Township, Greene County.
Sterling Crockett, chairman of AGRiMED, based in Philadelphia, said they have talked with township officials about developing a 61-acre site at 280 Thomas Road, where they plan to construct an 80,000-square-foot building. A portion of the property has a gob pile, while the remainder is vacant.
“We’re very excited about the potential,” said Crockett, who also serves as AGRiMED’s chief diversity officer. “We’re planning on a state-of-the-art greenhouse.”
Pennsylvania became the 24th state last year to legalize the medicinal use of medical marijuana for 17 different conditions, including HIV/AIDS, cancer, Lou Gehrig’s disease, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, neuropathy, nervous tissue damage to the spinal cord, Huntington’s disease, epilepsy, inflammatory bowels, glaucoma, autism, sickle cell anemia, Crohn’s, intractable seizures and severe pain that cannot be alleviated through conventional therapies.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has divided the state into six regions. The southwestern part of state will have two grower processor permits and five dispensary permits. The deadline to apply for one of the two permits is Monday.
Crockett said his company has yet to officially apply for a permit but will do so by Monday’s deadline.
Ann Bargerstock, the township’s zoning officer, said Cumberland officials met with AGRiMED officials several weeks ago.
“We are familiar with their concept,” she said.
The project itself is projected to initially create around 60 jobs, AGRiMED said in a release. According to state law, grower-processing facilities must only distribute products to other dispensaries and facilities and not to patients. AGRiMED said it will also open medical marijuana facilities to connect patients to the medicine they need.
For Crockett, the proposed project is also personal. Five years ago, he said, his daughter had just given birth to his granddaughter. A short time later, however, it was discovered his daughter had kidney cancer and had a kidney removed. During her recuperation, Crockett said she used edible medical marijuana to ease the pain.
“Spending time meeting with patients, government officials, business leaders, community leaders and law enforcement; one thing can be said the support has been phenomenal and they understand what this medicine can do for the community,” Crockett said.