Medical marijuana growers to make case tonight in Carlisle

A company with a state application pending for a marijuana cultivation license is asking Carlisle to further rollback its temporary ban to permit marijuana processing.

Representatives from Ohio Craft Cultivators LLC are scheduled to make a presentation during tonight’s village council meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. at Carlisle Town Hall, 760 Central Ave.

In June, council approved rescinding a portion of its temporary moratorium on marijuana cultivation and processing businesses to allow cultivation as well as selling 10 acres in the village-owned Carlisle Business Park if Ohio Craft Cultivators LLC could obtain a state license.

“They made it clear to council at the onset that they were interested in doing both, however, the rules had not been released by the state for processing or the application time frame,” said Village Manager Julie Duffy. “They want to see if council would be willing to lift the moratorium further to do processing. If not, they said they would seek land elsewhere for processing.”

Duffy said the proposed location is large enough to do both.

She said the rules for processing were released in September and anticipates the state will open the application period for processing facilities in November. Duffy said the state is expecting to issue licenses for the cultivation facilities next month.

Anthony DiLorenzo, the owner of Ohio Craft Cultivators is a native of Fairfield who now lives in New Hampshire after attending college there.

The proposed investment at the Carlisle Business Park to build the growing facility’s first phase will be between $4 million and $5 million and could create between 20 and 25 jobs.

The village sold the land for $45,000 an acre and proceeds will go to pay off the debt for infrastructure improvements at the business park six years ahead of schedule.

Duffy said another company had approached the village about building a processing plant but has opted to look elsewhere.

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