Newtown Law Firm Opposes Proposed Medical Marijuana Dispensary

NEWTOWN, PA — A Newtown Borough law firm is publicly expressing its strong opposition to a proposed medical marijuana dispensary down the road from its offices on State Street.

A company called 31 State Street LLC has submitted an application to the Pennsylvania Department of Health to open a dispensary in the borough. The application is currently pending. As the name indicates, the dispensary is proposed for 31 S. State Street, the site of the former Boccaccio Restaurant.

Gioconda Law Group, with an office at 301 S. State Street, submitted a letter to Newtown Borough officials on Monday expressing opposition to the proposal.

In a letter dated Aug. 20, the law firm states that selling marijuana even for medical purposes is still a federal crime. "Thus, it would appear that 31 State Street LLC is essentially planning on committing a series of federal crimes, and its request for a permit is tantamount to demanding Newtown Borough aid and abet the commission of its criminal operation."

The letter goes on to say that due to federal law, the proposed dispensary would not be legally able to accept credit card payments, therefore causing it to become a "likely target of dangerous criminals and would likely require the presence of armed guards at its facility at all times."

Law firm representatives conclude the letter by saying if the borough holds hearings on the application, they would like to have a chance to present evidence and argument.

The application for a dispensary is one of four that are currently pending in Bucks County. There are two applications for dispensaries in Doylestown, and one in Bristol, state documents show.

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