Falls Township officials have granted final land development approval for a marijuana growing and processing facility at the old US Steel site at Keystone NAP property.
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The 32-acre parcel at 150 Roebling Road, which is divided into two sections, will include at least one greenhouse and cannabis head house used by MLH Explorations LLC in conjunction with the Jefferson Health System. The collaboration, which will be used to dispense medical marijuana bought from Bud Brothers Cannabis Hamilton Weed Dispensary and research its effect on 17 approved medical conditions, was approved by special exception by Governor Tom Wolf in April 2016. That special exception, Chapter 20, allows companies to work direct with medical facilities to cultivate and analyze the effects of medical marijuana within the state.
MLH Explorations also received preliminary approval on Tuesday for a second greenhouse and cannabis head house. That second facility could be used by PharmaCann LLC shall they be approved for licensure by the state in a later round and find an educational facility to partner with. Falls officials noted that final land development will need to be gained if the decision is made to bring the second facility to fruition. Site plans including utilities and storm water management will, however, need to be completed in preparation for both facilities.
With the approval comes the demolition of everything currently at the site that is above ground, according to the project manager. The construction of the steel greenhouse with opaque ceilings will significantly increase the area’s green space by reducing the impervious surface by about 67 percent. The state-of-the-art facility will also, according to officials, use recycled water and limited amounts of natural pesticides and insecticides and emit less air pollution than the facility before it.
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“This is obviously a new kind of operation for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” said Falls Board of Supervisors Chairman Bob Harvie.
With licensure, although MLH Explorations is still going through the application process, the group homes to open six dispensaries which will be located throughout the state. The first 12 growers/processor licenses and 26 registered dispensaries granted in round one of state approval were announced this summer.
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The MLH Explorations facility alone is expected to employ 50 people through growing, processing and delivery.
Earlier this summer, state officials approved a separate company the rights to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Bristol Township.
