Medical marijuana is coming to Pennsylvania, and towns can't use local zoning laws to keep it out of their backyards.
But they can plan ahead to make sure zoning codes direct marijuana growing and processing operations and dispensaries to the locations that make the most sense in local cities, townships and boroughs.
"As the third most populous region with major health care and medical facilities as well as a population density and a transit system, I would bet, within 99 percent accuracy, that we are going to see a grower-processor and a dispensary at least, in the Lehigh Valley, probably more," said Becky Bradley, executive director of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.
State law creates up to 25 grower/processor permits, 50 dispensary permits and five combination grower-processor/dispensary permits. They are supposed to be distributed across at least three regions whose boundaries have not been set.
