Morton gets pitch for medical marijuana dispensary
MORTON » A former auto body shop may soon get a new life as Delaware County’s first medical marijuana dispensary. Matt Darin, chief operating officer of Grassroots, a Highland Park, Ill., company, gave a presentation at council’s January meeting, explaining that clients who would come to the dispensary would have to be a patient with a medical marijuana prescription from a physician in order to purchase its product.
The building the company has its eye on for purchase is at 409 Baltimore Pike, near a kidney dialysis center and Kohl’s.
“It is for medical marijuana only,” said attorney Ted Flowers, who accompanied Darin to the meeting. “It is not a recreational marijuana facility.”
Both men spoke of the strict state requirements governing the dispensaries, including 17 qualifications for use under state law, including people with
chronic pain, PTSD, and seizure disorders.
Darin said he is the founder of the company that has been operating medical marijuana dispensaries for three years, adding that state laws regulating
the medical marijuana field are similar in both Illinois and Pennsylvania. He stressed that the clinics his company operates have very stringent security measures in place.
“We come into this with a lot of experience,” Darin said. “This is a medical clinic. Everything is under lock and key. It is very professional.”
Darin said clinics are not open to the public. There is no advertising, deliveries are made in unmarked vehicles, and a medical professional must be on site at all times. FBI background checks are required for the clinic’s personnel. Darin said all products come to the clinics pre-packaged, there is no manufacturing on site. The medical marijuana is in the form of capsules, tinctures, balms and lotions.
According to Darin, hours of operation would be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with one night a week extended to 7 p.m. Saturday hours would be 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The clinic would operate in the borough as AES Compassionate Care.
Councilman John Miller asked Darin about the time frame for the clinic’s start date and Darin estimated four to five months.
Council President Mario Cimino said the presentation by Darin was “informational.” There are no zoning impediments to the dispensary’s location.