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Lowellville Council supports plans for medical marijuana cultivator
By Sarah Lehr
LOWELLVILLE
Village officials are enthusiastic about one company’s plans to grow medical marijuana here.
Lake Erie Compassion Care, based in Cleveland, is seeking a license from the state to run a cultivation facility at an industrial park on McGaffney Avenue.
Village Council unanimously approved a nonbinding resolution this week to declare its support for the endeavor.
“I would never advise a client to move forward without the support of the local community,” said Les Hollis, a consultant to Lake Erie Compassion Care. “We have that community support, and we have a great piece of land.”
Lowellville Mayor James Iudiciani, Sr. is hopeful that Compassion Care will secure a license, though the process is competitive.
The company is pursuing a Level-1 cultivator license. The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program will award only 12 of those licenses statewide.
Other Mahoning Valley municipalities, including Campbell and Youngstown, are also looking to bring in medical-marijuana businesses.
Ohio House Bill 523, which legalized medical marijuana, took effect in September. The state’s medical marijuana regulatory program, however, is not required to become fully operational until September 2018.
Compassion Care representatives told village council this week the medical marijuana facility would provide between 50 and 60 jobs.
Iudiciani is hopeful those employees will choose to live in Lowellville.
“They can enjoy our affordable housing, our low crime rate and utilize our great school system,” Iudiciani said.
The company has promised to invest $10 million, including $8 million for capital and $2 million for operations. The village expects the business will generate at least $50,000 annually in payroll tax.
If Compassion Care secures a provisional license in September, it is slated to begin construction in October. The facility would encompass 25,000 square feet initially, though there are plans to expand.
Company representatives emphasized planned security provisions, which include employee background checks and 24/7 surveillance.