STATE OK TO SELL MARIJUANA TAKES BELLMAWR BY SURPRISE

BELLMAWR -- Bellmawr officials were shocked Tuesday to find the
borough on a state-issued list of future medicinal marijuana
distribution sites.

Turns out the surprise was for good reason, as officials with the
North Jersey company awarded a permit to run the "alternative
treatment center" have yet to lease a facility or go through any of
the steps to get a business permit in the borough.

William Thomas, president and CEO of Compassionate Care Foundation
Inc., said the nonprofit indicated in its application to the state it
is interested in a site in Bellmawr. But Thomas said the company also
is open to other locations in South Jersey as well.

"We are not committed to Bellmawr and Bellmawr is not committed to
us," he said.

Reached Tuesday morning, Bellmawr Mayor Frank Filipek was at a loss as
to how the borough had been named in a release issued Monday as one of
six locations selected for a medicinal marijuana center.

Until news outlets across the state listed the locations Tuesday,
Filipek said he had no idea the borough was even considered.
Ultimately contacted by the nonprofit Tuesday afternoon, Filipek later
said he had agreed to at least meet with officials from Compassionate
Care in early April.

Without saying he would support either a grow or distribution site in
Bellmawr, Filipek said he would keep an "open mind" until he learned
more on how the site would be operated.

"I'm not going to close the door right now," he said.

The six marijuana treatment centers -- which will feature two
locations in the southern, central and northern parts of the state --
will be the first since the state in 2010 approved letting chronically
ill patients be prescribed the drug.

Aside from the Compassionate Care Foundation, New York-based
Compassionate Sciences Inc. was also awarded a permit to run a center
in the southern part of the state, designated as Burlington County and
all points south.

While the state release indicated Compassionate Sciences would locate
its center in either Burlington or Camden county, a spokesman for the
company said officials there haven't ruled out any of the southern
counties yet.

"We are going to do a more detailed site survey that will identify
potential locations in the coming weeks," said Andrei Bogolubov.

Both Bogolubov and Thomas likened the business of producing medicinal
marijuana as an operation similar to the many pharmaceutical companies
already in the state.

Both explained their facilities would be secure as well as contribute
jobs and revenue to local communities. All companies were required to
include a security plan in the application process.

"We're looking for a town in southern New Jersey who would like to
have 100 jobs and that would welcome us to lease one of their empty
buildings," Thomas said.

"We think we could convince them that we would be a very good
citizen."

Local reaction in Bellmawr was mixed Tuesday.

Raymond Santiago, 51, said he feared the system would be taken
advantage of and that marijuana will end up in the wrong hands.

"That's scary," Santiago asserted. "That's just going to open the door
(to abuse.)."

But 23-year-old Anthony McCreavy said backs bringing a center to
Bellmawr.

McCreavy said a friend's mother was given a prescription for marijuana
for a chronic illness.

"It's good for those people that need it," McCreavy said. "I don't
think it's a bad thing bringing it here."

Under state law, medical marijuana can only be obtained by those who
have a prescription from a doctor providing ongoing care who has
registered with the state and can attest to a patient's debilitating
medical condition.