MERIDEN — The city’s Planning Commission gave preliminary approval to add a medical marijuana dispensary to Broad Street, the fourth facility approved in the city this year.

Mountain Laurel Living LLC hopes to add the dispensary to the first floor of 834 Broad St., previously Webster Bank. The plan calls for seven parking spaces. The former drive-through window would be enclosed and used as a secure delivery area.

The state application process for dispensaries is highly competitive, requiring extensive documentation and a $1,000 fee. Nine dispensaries are currently in operation and the state plans to award up to 10 more licenses by the end of the year. Officials have said it is unlikely more than one facility in Meriden would receive state approval

“It’s all contingent on if this particular site is chosen,”said Attorney Dennis Ceneviva, who represented Mountain Laurel Living.

Company partner David Smith said the group honed in on Meriden due to its central location in the state and the number of city residents who have medical marijuana prescriptions.

“Meriden has right now no dispensaries and a high concentration of veterans... post-traumatic stress disorder is one of the major conditions that medical marijuana (is prescribed for),” Smith said.

If a license is awarded, the group will need to go back to the Planning Commission for final site plan approval.

ltauss@record-journal.com

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Twitter: @LeighTaussRJ