Lower Burrell makes rules for medical marijuana dispensaries, growers

Lower Burrell has new rules about where medical marijuana dispensaries, growers and processors can operate in the city.

Council this week approved the regulations, which allow medical marijuana growers and processors to be located in light manufacturing- and manufacturing-zoned districts as a special exception use.

The dispensaries cannot be within 500 feet of the property line of a school, day care center, church, place of worship, playground or park.

It defines medical marijuana dispensaries as businesses that sell medical marijuana under a state-issued permit and a medical marijuana grower/processor as a place that holds a state health permit to grow or process medical marijuana. All growing and processing would be done inside the building.

The Legislature legalized the use of medical marijuana in 2016, with the first dispensaries and availability of product in 2018. Medical marijuana patients must qualify under one of more than 20 diagnosed conditions and be issued a medical marijuana card by a physician certified under the state’s medical marijuana program.

A bill introduced in Harrisburg this year would eliminate the list of qualifying conditions and allow marijuana to be prescribed by any doctor licensed to prescribe controlled substances in the state. The bill has yet to be acted upon by the Legislature.

Smokeable and edible forms of marijuana continue to be illegal under the state’s program. The recreational use of marijuana also remains illegal.

Councilman and Mayor-elect Chris Fabry said the city is unaware of anyone trying to bring a dispensary to Lower Burrell.

He said the proposal was considered by council about five years ago, but it never was formally adopted because of leadership turnover.

Lower Burrell’s planning commission and zoning hearing board supported the regulations.

“Regardless of any one person’s viewpoint on marijuana, I hope we can all agree that there needs to be certain restrictions in place, especially in regard to dispensaries near schools, churches, etc. That’s what we accomplished with this ordinance,” Fabry said.

According to the state, there are more than 423,000 medical marijuana patients in Pennsylvania.