Top Stories

McCandless council puts measures in place to restrict medical marijuana facility locations

MCCANDLESS, Pa. — New rules already in effect lay out regulations for where medical marijuana facilities can operate in McCandless.

In a proactive move, the council voted 6-1 to approve a pending ordinance that restricts where medical marijuana facilities can now operate.

“It's called highway commercial. So it's mostly along Perry Highway,” said Bruce Betty, the municipality’s land use administrator.

Prior to the vote, there were no regulations in place. Without regulations, anyone could have come in and set up shop wherever they wanted.

RELATED HEADLINES:

“We examined where the schools and daycare centers were and came up with a lot of areas where they, no matter what, the dispensaries couldn't be located,” Betty said.

Betty explained medical marijuana facilities are broken into three buckets: medical marijuana research in academic institutions, dispensaries in commercial areas, and grower/processers.

Most locations for dispensaries would go along Perry Highway, starting from the Shults Lincoln car dealership running all the way up to Wexford Plaza.

All dispensaries will have to stay at least 1,000 feet away from schools and day care centers. But the department of health can waive that rule, if they choose.

Town leaders are still working on the ordinance and McCandless will have a public hearing on the issue over the next four or five months.