Medical marijuana dispensary eyed for former Winsted KFC building

Mercy Quaye-Register CitizenThe former Kentucky Fried Chicken building located at 200 New Hartford Road in Winsted, which may be converted into a pharmacy specializing in the sale of marijuana. Mercy Quaye-Register CitizenThe former Kentucky Fried Chicken building located at 200 New Hartford Road in Winsted, which may be converted into a pharmacy specializing in the sale of marijuana. Photo: Journal Register Co. Photo: Journal Register Co. Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Medical marijuana dispensary eyed for former Winsted KFC building 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

WINSTED >> With medical marijuana being the state’s hot topic, Winchester may be the home to the next dispensary. During Monday night’s Planning and Zoning meeting, plans were presented to convert the Kentucky Fried Chicken building located at 200 New Hartford Road in Winsted into a pharmacy specializing in the sale of marijuana.

Two men, Danny Vaughn and James Dietz went before the Winsted Planning and Zoning Commission to gauge the town’s position on being the home to one of the few dispensaries in the state.

According to a representative from the state Department of Consumer Protection’s Medical Marijuana Program, the state has “preferred locations” in which they will distribute three to five permits throughout the state. The representative said the application process is “very competitive” and the permit will be awarded in early next year.

Claudette Carveth Spokesperson for the Department of Consumer Protecting said the number of dispensaries awarded depends on the number of patients who require medical marijuana. At this point, the number of patients in Connecticut is a little more than 1,000.

“There are preferred locations for these facilities based on the locations of currently register patients,” she said.

Currently Fairfield, New Haven, New London, Hartford and Litchfield counties are considered “preferable.” Carveth said the department does not however require dispensaries in those locations.

“In the future, based on the number of patients requiring medical marijuana, additional dispensary licenses may be needed,” she said. “And the department will request applications at that time.”

Planning and Zoning Commissioner Art Melycher said the state is only permitting one dispensary per county. Because of this, the dispensary duo may be in competition for the permit that will be awarded for Litchfield County. Melycher said permits have already been submitted in Torrington, though it wasn’t immediately clear where those are. The deadline for Vaughn and Dietz to apply is Nov. 15.

Morgan Fox, communications manager of the National Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. said dispensaries in Connecticut are timely and allow more available access for many people.

“I’m very excited that the dispensaries are allowed to be Connecticut now,” he said, “because patients aren’t allowed to grow their own in the state.”

He said having more dispensaries available for the public gives patients more options for obtaining their medical marijuana.

Now that the two have inquired with the commission, the issue they face other than fees is whether or not the business has proper zoning in Winsted.

According to the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) any individual seeking to obtain one of the state’s few permits will have to pay an application fee of $1,000 at the time the application is submitted. If the application is accepted, the dispensary facility licensing fee is an additional $5,000 due after the individual is awarded.

Town Manager Dale Martin said it is possible that the Planning and Zoning Commission would consider creating regulations that would include the dispensary – a business that the town has not dealt with to date.

“He came and made his presentation yesterday about how the Planning and Zoning Commission would approach it,” Martins said on Tuesday. “Would it fall under a pharmacy or would it need any other additional regulations?”

Martin said he is unsure what sort of business the dispensary will bring into the town as a result. However he said the plans are in the primary stages.

“It appears the intent of the Planning and Zoning Commission is to proceed under the consideration to treat it as a pharmacy,” he said. “So I expect that he will be filing a site plan application soon.”

The applicants in Torrington may have an upper hand because of the town’s current zoning regulations.

Earlier this year The Hartford’s Dispensary Methadone Clinic was approved to open a location in Torrington. After a lengthy fight to open the clinic, Torrington’s Planning and Zoning Commission voted to amend the regulations that prohibited where alternative incarceration and medical marijuana facilities could be.

Winsted may have some catching up to do in order to get the dispensary started. But right now Melycher said the entire project is just a “consideration.”

“We don’t have any regulations concerning it,” he said. “And the state had come out with some guidelines but they’re not complete at this point.”

Richard Labich, chairman of the Economic Development Commission, said at this point it is unclear if the dispensary will bring any additional commerce in to the town. But Labich said any business that will boost the economy is welcomed to add to Winsted’s appeal.

According to the policy outlined by the DCP, since the state’s maximum allowed product per month is 2.5 ounces, patients will need to select one dispensary facility from which they will obtain their medication regularly.

Because of this, if Winsted is awarded the only permit in Litchfield County, it will bring a considerable amount of traffic to the town.

Labich said he thinks any business that converts an unused building is a good addition to the town.

“I think that’s great that a new business comes in town and helps employment and goes on the tax roll,” Labich said. “Those are all pluses, but whether or not this business is good or suitable I just don’t know.”

Reach Mercy Quaye at 860-489-3121 ext. 321.