Jul 31, 2019 2 min read

The state Department of Health denied Monday the renewal permit for AGRiMED Industries, a medical marijuana grower/processor in Cumberland Township.

The denial comes one month after a surprise inspection that resulted in a cease and desist order, prohibiting AGRiMED from “harvesting, cutting or destroying marijuana plants without a department inspector present.”

During that inspection, the Department of Health said AGRiMED didn’t provide records or security footage of how or when marijuana plants were destroyed. In a news release, the Health Department said that the company had been “growing marijuana, but its processing equipment is not operational, so it has not been processing or shipping medication for sale at dispensaries.”

AGRiMED, located at 280 Thomas Road, on a 61-acre site east of Carmichaels, was issued one of the first 12 licenses to grow medical marijuana in June 2017. They became operational in February 2018.

Without a renewed permit, AGRiMED will be forced to “dispose of any remaining seeds, immature medical marijuana plants, medical marijuana plants and medical marijuana products under the direct supervision of the department at a date to be determined,” according to the news release.

According to the Department of Health, there are nearly 111,000 patient certifications in the medical marijuana program, with more than 1,160 approved practitioners.

“Our medical marijuana program has been one of the most successful in the country, providing evidence-based, quality options for patients suffering from serious medical conditions,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said in the release. “Part of the reason for that success is our efforts to hold grower/processors and dispensaries accountable for meeting their obligations under the law. In this case, AGRiMED was not able to do that so we have denied its application to renew its permit.”

AGRiMED has 30 days to appeal the permit denial.