Feb 22, 2018 3 min read

AGRiMED gets OK to grow medical marijuana

{child_byline}By Trista Thurston

Staff writer

tthurston@observer-reporter.com

{/child_byline}

NEMACOLIN – AGRiMED Industries has the green light to grow medical marijuana.

Gov. Tom Wolf announced Thursday the state Department of Health has approved the grow operation in Cumberland Township, bringing the total number of growers to 11 statewide. Only one facility has not yet been approved.

AGRiMED, located at 280 Thomas Road near Nemacolin, broke ground at its 61-acre site in Cumberland Township last October and expected to begin operating by the end of the year. The DOH required the facility to be in compliance with all necessary regulations six months after their permit was granted, which was Dec. 20 for the Philadelphia-based company.

Mark Kaminski, AGRiMED’s chief creative officer, said “a number of processes are underway” as they begin growing and cultivating the plants before they can be delivered to dispensaries.

“We have plants in the ground and more seeds under propagation,” he said.

Kaminski added that AGRiMED hoped to be a good neighbor in the community.

“Greene County can count on AGRiMED to deliver local opportunities and support needed to improve the local economy,” he said. “The community can also expect a smooth, seamless transition executed by our local management team into a fully operational facility as we ramp up production and expand over the coming months.”

Company officials previously said they will invest $25 million to develop the operation. In December, AGRiMED employed about 25 people locally, but that number could be as high as 100 in the first five years. AGRiMED had said the first 16,000-square-foot manufactured steel building would be able to grow about 2,400 plants. The company has also talked about expanding in the future, depending on market demand, and constructing an 80,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art greenhouse. AGRiMED has grown medical marijuana in other states where it is legal.

There are many steps companies need to take before they’re able to grow medical marijuana, the governor said. DOH has a checklist that outlines the required tasks on its medical marijuana website, which is 54 pages long.

Two grower permits were given to each of six regions in the state. Out of the dozen permits granted from 177 submitted application, AGRiMED received the top application score. Interested companies were rated in areas such as diversity, security and surveillance, diversion prevention, community impact and employee qualifications.

The approval comes after the first distribution of medical marijuana for dispensaries Feb. 15. Ten dispensaries across the state have been approved so far for 17,000 registered patients, about 3,000 of which have identification cards. Over 700 doctors have intentions to become certified to prescribe medical marijuana, with almost 400 having completed the needed training.

Medical marijuana can be prescribed by a doctor for 17 medical conditions, including multiple sclerosis, severe chronic pain, cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, post-traumatic stress disorder and intractable seizures. The cannabis can only be dispensed as pills, oils, liquids, topical ointments or in a form administered by an inhaler.