Green Thumb gets the green light for dispensary

Monica Pryts, Allied News, Grove City, Pa.
·2 min read

Oct. 25—SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP — Springfield Township is one step closer to having Mercer County's second medical marijuana dispensary.

Supervisors on Oct. 17 approved a conditional use application filed by Green Thumb Industries following a brief discussion addressing questions raised by a neighboring business.

The Chicago-based company owns the Rise chain of dispensaries, including one at 2880 E. State St., Hermitage; that location opened in 2019.

They are aiming to open another Rise dispensary at 225 Westside Square Drive as part of the Springfield Commons Plaza on state Route 208, also known as Leesburg-Grove City Road.

The plaza is already home to several restaurants and a hair salon, and it is just west of Grove City Premium Outlets and next to Marriott TownePlace Suites.

The plaza is also near Black Bear Hemp Dispensary on Garrett Drive, which sells cannabidiol, or CBD, products.

Jesse Worsk, who opened the business in 2021 with his wife Carrie, told supervisors they have concerns about security at the proposed dispensary and its proximity to local church services.

The township's ordinance for medical marijuana dispensaries says that they have to be more than 1,000 feet away by sight from a church or place of worship.

There is a group that holds services every week nearby; right now it's at Holiday Inn Express, and they'll soon return to the Hampton Inn and Suites, which Worsk said would not meet the distance requirement.

"They don't have any intentions of going anywhere," he said of the group.

Worsk, a Sandy Lake native, said he's had success opening multiple dispensaries and wants to make sure that Green Thumb is abiding by the regulations and doing it in a compliant manner that benefits the community.

"That's what our business is really about," he said of Black Bear, which has helped raise money for local charities.

He noted that Black Bear does not have a license to operate a medical marijuana dispensary; the two kinds of businesses have some different regulations.

In Pennsylvania, those 18 and older can buy CBD products. Those wishing to patronize a medical marijuana dispensary must be at least 21, get approval from a doctor who confirms the patient has a medical condition that qualifies them for medical marijuana and register with the state.

Anna Jewart, an attorney with Babst Calland representing Green Thumb, said they are appreciative of the concerns, but the public hearing on the issue was already held and closed.

Green Thumb contacted local hotels and did not receive any information about church services nearby, and the township can't hold the worship services to its zoning standards, she said.

Any licensing issues would go to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and security concerns have been addressed, said Ray Bogaty, the township's solicitor.

The township's ordinance says that medical marijuana dispensaries can operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and that there must be a single, secured entrance.