Bellmawr center gets OK to grow marijuana

BELLMAWR – A Bellmawr nonprofit received state approval Monday to begin growing medical marijuana, nearly two years after submitting its application to the New Jersey Department of Health.

Compassionate Sciences Inc. is the fifth alternative treatment center to receive a state growing permit. The permitting process included several site inspections, background checks of the nonprofit's corporate officers and a review of its security operations and growing facility, according to the department.

It will take about three months to grow and cure the cannabis for distribution. After testing by a state lab and another state inspection, Compassionate Sciences will need a second permit to begin selling marijuana to patients.

Andrei Bogolubov, a spokesman for Compassionate Sciences, said the nonprofit learned of its approval earlier Monday.

"We already have people in place, and everyone's just delighted and excited to get going," Bogolubov said.

The plants will be started from clones and will take about eight to 10 weeks to mature. Compassionate Sciences also wants to produce edible versions of its products, as well as extractions, when the state Department of Health approves those processes.

Located off Route 42 at 111 Coolidge Ave., the dispensary will serve up to 3,000 patients when operating at full capacity. About 5,300 patients are registered in the state's medical marijuana program, and 392 doctors are prescribing marijuana in New Jersey.

Once Compassionate Sciences receives full state approval, patients will be alerted by e-mail. A grand opening event is also expected this fall, Bogolubov said.

"We're really proud of the facility," Bogolubov said. "We put a lot of money and effort into it, and we think it's really going to be a showcase. They did a really nice job."

According to the department, patients can only register with one dispensary at a time, but can change registration without cost.

New Jersey has three alternative treatment centers now open and dispensing: Greenleaf Compassion Center of Montclair, Compassionate Care Foundation of Egg Harbor, and Garden State Dispensary of Woodbridge. A fourth, Breakwater ATC in Cranbury, received its permit to grow in November.

Bellmawr Mayor Frank Filipek said his police department is satisfied with the facility's security system and its location in an industrial park.

"Now we'll just keep an eye on it," Filipek said. "To be honest, I haven't heard one word over the last nine months from anyone even mentioning it.

"It is for people that need it."

Kim Mulford: (856) 486-2448, kmulford@courierpostonline.com