Alexander Planning Commission sends medical marijuana dispensary proposal to city council

In a unanimous vote the Alexander Planning Commission agreed to recommend the Alexander City Council accept the request to establish a medical marijuana dispensary in the city. If approved by the council, the location of the dispensary will be the former funeral home near the corner of Highway 5 and Alexander Road.

Speaking for the group of investors present and their corporation (Natural State Medical Group), Dr. James Adametz presented their proposal to commission members and others in attendance. Also attending the meeting were Mayor Paul Mitchell and council members Harold Timmerman (Ward-2), Dan Church (Ward-3) and Joe Pollard (Ward-1).

Adametz said their plan is to first open as a dispensary and eventually grow some marijuana plants inside the building, or possibly in a green house. He explained that state law allows dispensaries to, “Cultivate a small number of plants.”

“I am a neurosurgeon,” Adametz said. “I treat pain, mostly chronic pain.”

“I got interested in this because I think it’s one more tool for doctors to treat chronic pain,” he added.

Adametz said he tries to avoid prescribing opiates. Citing 2017 statistics he said, “411 people died in Arkansas from opiate overdoses. In states where medical marijuana passed that number goes down by about 25-percent. We literally could save a hundred lives this year by having medical marijuana as an option. That kinda sold me.”

Planning commission member Tonya Prowse said the Arkansas Heart Summit had “released a statement” that opiate overdose deaths have declined since medical marijuana became available “this century.”

Adametz cited other medical issues that can be helped by medical marijuana including arthritis, fibromyalgia, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “[I]t’s safer than Valium (for PTSD),” he said.

“As much as I had some additional concerns, as I suspect some of you do,” he said. “It’s a safer alternative than the typical pharmaceuticals we have. We believe it will bring benefits.”

Besides health benefits there are some financial ones as well. Adametz noted they will be hiring ten employees at first and another ten later on when they begin to grow and process their own plants.

In response to a question by planning commission vice-chairman Juanita Wilson concerning the type of employees to be hired, Adametz said the first ten employees will include an office manager; pharmacist assistant and counselors, “To help patients decide what’s best for them.” One of the investors is also a pharmacist.

Another financial benefit will include sales tax. Unlike regular pharmaceuticals medical marijuana purchases are taxed. According to an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article, published August 26, sales of medical marijuana for May, June and July hit $6.04 million. The first dispensary opened in Hot Springs in May.

Wilson asked Adametz what he expected in sales. Adametz said sales could be at minimum $1 million per year. The city’s 3-cent sales tax would generate at least $30,000.00.

There was also a question concerning security.

“There will be cameras everywhere,” Adametz said.

In addition to cameras the doors will have finger-print activated locks and there will be, “[S]ome kind of guard on duty most of the time,” he added. “We don’t want to scare people off so it looks like they’re coming into a prison, but we do want to have very tight very good security.”

Prior to the vote Mayor Mitchell said he spoke to his department heads during their weekly meeting held on Tuesday. He said both the police chief and fire chief supported having a medical marijuana dispensary in the city. Adametz said he will want to meet with them.

What has put a time-crunch on this process was trying to locate the Circle-K developer who is considering buying the property. According to Adametz a developer wants to build a Circle-K on the Alexander Road end of the property. They’re plan was to only use one acre and sell the rest. Adametz said Circle-K has a contract giving them the option to buy the property until the end of the year, but they are still in the decision making process.

Since the Arkansas commission that oversees medical marijuana applications meets September 18, Adametz offered to buy the property and leave the one-acre area vacant until Circle-K decides what to do. According to Adametz this all came together last week.

He then contacted Planning Commission Chairman Michael Huck to determine how the property is zoned and the approval process. There were some questions as to whether special zoning was required, or just a special use permit. As it turns out neither.

Council member Dan Church contacted an attorney with the Arkansas Municipal League. According to Attorney John Wilkerson the property only needs to be zoned for drug stores or pharmacies. Since the property is zoned Highway Commercial, which includes Neighborhood Commercial, which includes drug stores, zoning is not an issue. Church was also told the council must approve the request.

As for the process, the planning commission was already trying to schedule a special meeting to make up for the regular meeting canceled earlier in August due to the lack of a quorum. The dispensary question was able to be added to the agenda before the special meeting was announced. Now that planning commission members have made the recommendation to approve the request it is up to council members to make the final decision.

Besides commission members Huck, Wilson and Prowse; Stephanie Beck was also present. Wilson is also a member of the city council representing Ward-2.

The city council’s next regular meeting is September 16. Adametz said the next meeting of the commission that approves dispensary applications is September 18. Mayor Mitchell will try to schedule a special meeting for the council on Tuesday, September 3.

If the council accepts the commission’s recommendation this dispensary will be the second one to open in Saline County. The other is in Hensley. There are two others waiting for approval in Little Rock along I-630.

In other business:

Planning commission members were able to get to the original purpose of the special meeting held Tuesday evening August 27. After some corrections commission members approved sending an ordinance to the city council that will establish fees concerning development and zoning regulations.

Earlier this summer the city council passed two ordinances written and approved by the planning commission. One was City of Alexander Subdivision Rules and Regulations and the other was City of Alexander Zoning Regulations. Each one makes references to fees the city did not have on the books. This new ordinance will address those issues.