Carson City commission approves permit for medical marijuana operation

A medical marijuana production facility for Carson City, which is the fourth planned here, won special use permit approval from the Planning Commission Wednesday.

The city commission voted 5-1 to approve the permit sought by Carson City Agency Solutions, LLC, for the production plant in an existing 2,100 square foot building at 4949 U.S. Highway 50 East. The applicant firm’s representatives on hand were Lucinda Mahoney of Anchorage, Alaska, and Kurt Brown of Carson City.

“We would sell to licensed dispensaries,” Mahoney testified. She indicated the facility, which would make marijuana products such as edibles and lotions, would be a quiet and low key operation not open to the public. Asked about security, she said: “We are building a robust storage and locked area.”

John Erb, a 39-year city resident who owns a rental house in the area, provided testimony against medical marijuana. He later said he wasn’t immediately certain if he would appeal the decision through planners at the Community Development Department to the Board of Supervisors. Following state law, the board earlier decided to allow medical marijuana and set up the process for permitting it in certain zoning districts.

The lone vote against the permit came from Commissioner Daniel Salerno. He said the federal government still bans marijuana as a controlled substance despite the state and city actions.

Susan Pansky, planning manager, recapped previous permits for medical marijuana sites. She said the commission had provided permits for two dispensaries, eight cultivation and now four production locations. Actually, she said, three from those latter categories are co-locations for cultivation and production.

“This is the only standalone production” permit, she said. She also said before the public testimony this might be the last of the medical marijuana establishment group for now.

In other action, the commission approved a special use permit for additional parking south of the planned Hop and Mae Adams makeover of the old Citibank building at Telegraph Square. The decision adds 28 parking spaces to the 20 already provided for residents and guests of new apartment units. The building will add a third story, providing 10 units and garages, as well as retail and office space. Adams 308 N. Curry LLC bought the nearby parking lot.