Turrell making bid for medical marijuana license

Turrell making bid for medical marijuana license

Community applying to become one of five cultivation centers in Arkansas

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Could a medical marijuana facility be coming to Turrell?

Mayor Dorothy Cooper said she was approached by state Senator Linda Chesterfield (D-District 34) a member of the Democratic Black Caucus, about locating a medical marijuana cultivation facility in Turrell.

“She said she has been watching and keeping up with everything that is happening in Turrell and since the state is going to approve five sites she is going to request that Turrell be one of them,” Cooper said.

The state is accepting applications from June 30 to Sept. 18 for those who want to sell or grow medication marijuana. Voters approved a constitutional amendment last year legalizing the drugs for some patients by 53 to 47 percent.

In Crittenden County, medical marijuana was approved 61 to 39 percent.

The Medical Marijuana Commission will award five licenses for cultivation facilities and 32 licenses for dispensaries.

“They’re going to approve five sites,” Cooper said.

“She said she did an application for Turrell.”

County Judge Woody Wheeless said he has not been approached by anyone yet who is interested in location a facility in Crittenden

County. “I haven’t heard anything,” Wheeless said.

Wheeless said the issue hasn’t been brought up in the Quorum Court yet either.

“We haven’t discussed this yet,” Wheeless said.

In neighboring counties in northeast Arkansas, medical marijuana passed 56 to 44 percent in Mississippi County, 61 to 39 percent in Cross County, 54 to 46 percent in Lee County and 62 to 38 percent in Poinsett County.

The matter has already come up in other counties in Northeast Arkansas.

The city council in Harrisburg gave its okay to a group to build a medical marijuana cultivation facility if it gets a permit. If approved, the facility would create 75 to 100 jobs.

Walnut Ridge Mayor Charles Snapp also recently brought the issue to his city council after he was approached about a group interested in locating one in Lawrence County.

Wheeless said there is no way to stop one from coming to Crittenden County as long as the operators meet all of the criteria set out by the state.

Facilities must be 3000 feet from churches and school.

“I would suspect though that if anyone is going to apply for one of those permits that they would put them in areas that supported the amendment,” Wheeless said.

By Mark Randall