Saugerties seems to be a hotspot for would-be medical marijuana operations.
Over the course of a week, one company announced a public informational meeting, then dropped out, then only a few days later, town officials announced that another company hopes to set up shop.
Saugerties Supervisor Greg Helsmoortel said the company, NY Growing Partners, has signed an agreement with property owner John Mullen to build at the “shovel ready” site adjacent to the Army Reserve Center on Kings Highway. The agreement is contingent on approval by the state, which is issuing just five licenses for the hundreds of companies who have applied.
Helsmoortel said the facility could provide up to 100 jobs. He said the plant would be “very controlled” with a “tremendous amount of security.”
New York’s medical marijuana law forbids smoking. Instead, patients can ingest the drug through pills, oils or vapors. The law was passed last July and provides 18 months for implementation.
Each recipient of a license can operate up to four dispensaries. The application fee is $10,000, with a $200,000 registration fee for those selected. The deadline is June 5 and the licenses are expected to be announced in July.
The proposed site has been the subject of discussion for new development for years. It’s called “shovel ready” because preliminary studies for the impact of a large manufacturing operation have already been completed by the county, which simplifies the approval process for applicants. Most recently, the site, along with Kingston Business Park, was mentioned as one of three possible locations for a new plant by Ossining-based Metcar, an aerospace manufacturing company. Helsmoortel didn’t have an update on that plan, but noted that if the medical marijuana project goes through, the Saugerties site would be off the table.
According to the state Health Department, medical marijuana will be available to patients diagnosed with cancer, HIV/AIDS, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, neuropathies and Huntington’s disease, among other conditions. Click here to get more marijuana news.
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