Pubdate: Thu, 06 Jun 2013
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA)
Copyright: 2013 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc
Contact:  http://www.philly.com/inquirer/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/340
Author: Jan Hefler

STATE OKS MEDICAL MARIJUANA SITE IN SOUTH JERSEY

For the first time, marijuana can be grown legally in South Jersey,
now that the state Health Department has granted a permit allowing
seeds to be planted at a soon-to-open medical marijuana dispensary in
Egg Harbor Township.

Dave Knowlton, chairman of Compassionate Care Foundation, said the
nonprofit, which got the permit Thursday, hopes to begin selling
marijuana to registered patients in mid-September out of the Atlantic
County facility.

Normally, it takes three to four months to cultivate the crop and
prepare it to be sold, said Donna Leusner, a spokeswoman for the
Health Department.

The approval came the same day that state lawmakers began considering
a bill that would make it easier for seriously ill children also to
have access to the drug.

The Egg Harbor dispensary will be the state's second, more than three
years after Gov. Jon S. Corzine signed a law legalizing marijuana for
patients with certain debilitating conditions, including cancer,
multiple sclerosis, AIDS, Crohn disease, and muscular dystrophy.

The Greenleaf Compassion Center was the first, opening a dispensary in
Montclair, Essex County, in December.

So far, Greenleaf has served nearly 130 patients out of about 1,000
who have registered.

"We got into this because there were patients in need of this
medication," Knowlton said. "I never used marijuana in my life, but I
knew it helps certain types of patients and we're passionate about
helping them."

Health experts say marijuana is particularly effective in combating
spasms and nausea, and stimulating appetites in sick patients.

"I'm excited this long process is done," Knowlton said, referring to
three years of preparations and hurdles in the approval process.

In an earlier interview, Bill Thomas, CEO of Compassionate Care
Foundation, said he was expecting to plant 2,000 seeds and cultivate
enough plants to serve 500 patients. He was expecting that the initial
price would be $500 an ounce because the nonprofit incurred debt in
setting up the dispensary in the 85,000-square-foot former casino
warehouse, not far from Atlantic City.

Thomas was unavailable for comment.

The permit was issued to the dispensary after a review "including
several site inspections, background checks of its corporate officers
and a review of its security operations and cultivation facility,"
Leusner said.

After the marijuana is grown, she said, it will be tested in a state
laboratory for mold and pesticides before another permit is issued to
allow the marijuana to be sold.

She said patients who have already registered with Greenleaf can
change to Compassionate Care by calling the state's medicinal
marijuana program at 609-292-0424.

Initially, Greenleaf had accepted patients from throughout the state,
but in recent months limited its business to North Jersey residents,
saying it was overwhelmed by the demand.

Four other dispensaries were preliminarily approved by the Health
Department two years ago and some are in various stages of approval,
Leusner said. One that is planning to open in Woodbridge is expected
to have its facility ready for inspection this summer, she said.

The state Senate Judiciary Committee also turned its attention to the
medical marijuana program Thursday when it approved and sent to the
full Senate a bill that would make it easier for seriously ill
children to have access to the drug.

So far, no minors have been permitted to enroll in the medical
marijuana program. The bill would eliminate the need for written
confirmation from a pediatrician and a psychiatrist before juveniles
could receive the drug.

The measure was sparked by the recent case of a 2-year-old girl with a
severe form of epilepsy who was unable to enroll because she was
denied certification from a psychiatrist.

Her parents would like to be able to give the drug to her in capsule
or edible form, and the bill would also allow edible marijuana to be
dispensed.
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MAP posted-by: Matt