Sunset Park Could Get Medical Marijuana Dispensary

SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN — A medical marijuana dispensary could be coming to 4614 5th Ave. in Sunset Park, Community Board 7 district manager Jeremy Laufner confirmed Friday, though the drug wouldn't be in a smokable form, and would be reserved for individuals with serious illnesses.

Representatives from start-up Napenthea LLC presented their plans before CB 7's health committee on Jan. 30, Laufner said. The committee voted 5-0 in favor of the proposal, which will be considered by the full board on Feb. 15. The news was first reported by Brooklyn Reporter.

New York State officially launched its Medical Marijuana Program on Jan. 7 of this year, according to the State Department of Health (DOH), about a year and a half after Gov. Andrew Cuomo legalized the treatment by signing the Compassionate Care Act.

According to the DOH, marijuana is available "to certified patients suffering from cancer, HIV/AIDS, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, intractable spasticity caused by damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, neuropathies and Huntington's disease."

Patients who wish to use the drug must be referred to the DOH by a physician registered with the state's program, according to the DOH. The agency must then provide the patient with a certification card. The DOH is also responsible for licensing dispensaries, the application stage Napenthea is in right now, Laufner said.

Laufner said the Napenthea representatives at the meeting explained that the medication does not have the "high" produced by marijuana when smoked, and is more expensive than pot sold on the street, meaning it "would not be somebody's drug of choice." Additionally, it's only provided in pill form, as a tincture that can be taken orally, or as an oil to be used in a vaporizer, Laufner said.

Laufner said that at the CB 7 meeting, a mother testified that her daughter had used medical marijuana to deal with epilepsy. The treatment helped to prevent seizures and restored the girl's appetite, Laufner said, recalling the mother's statements, allowing her to gain 40 pounds and live a more normal life.

There are no medical marijuana dispensaries currently operating in Brooklyn, according to a state database, though there are two in Queens, one in Manhattan, and one in the Bronx.

Pictured at top: A picture of 4614 Fifth Avenue from 2013. Image via Google Maps.