KINGWOOD — The Preston County Board of Health expects to receive an application under the medical cannabis law and would like guidance on criteria for deciding its fate.
In a letter to local boards of health dated Jan. 6, Jason R. Frame, director of the State Office of Medical Cannabis, said the office began taking applications Dec. 19 for permits.
The Preston County Commission told him it was notified that one application has been made for Preston County, Preston Health Department Director V.J. Davis told the board of health Thursday.
“We’re going to have to probably figure out in a very short amount of time whether we’re going to be for it or against it,” Davis said.
Before any permit can be granted, the state must receive written approval from the board of health in the county where the business will be located.
According to the letter, the state will notify the county board of health when an application is being considered and will disclose whether the application is for a dispensary, grower or processor; the proposed location of the business; and the name of the applicant.
The county board isn’t required to make onsite inspections.
“Whether the county board of health has taken a documented position on the health impact of the availability of medical cannabis in their jurisdiction could be used as a criteria by the local board in making its decision,” Frame wrote.
Davis said health departments asked the state for guidelines and got the letter. “So we have no idea on what we base our decision on,” Davis said. Health departments asked for more information, he said.
“I think our decision is going to have to be made on whether, is this something that is going to hurt public health in Preston County?” Davis said.
Needle exchange
In other discussions, despite some misgivings, the board agreed to renew its partnership with the Milan Puskar Health Right needle exchange program for another year.
Under a grant, Health Right provides needle exchange in Preston County at no cost. It fulfills the health department’s need for a harm reduction program.
That means, said BOH member Dr. Fred Conley, it aims to reduce the number of cases of hepatitis B and C, HIV and other diseases transmitted by sharing or reusing needles. And it’s operating as a needle dispensing program, not an exchange, he noted.
BOH Chairman Jim Fields repeated his concerns that needles don’t have to be returned and can be picked up by someone other than the person who will use them. He said he hears a great deal about the program from the public, particularly from law enforcement.
But, Fields said, the program could be done without the department. And he asked if it helped people fight addiction. Fighting opioid abuse is difficult, Conley said.
“We’re going to try and help people as much as we can,” said board member Mary Benson.
Davis said the department isn’t required to have a harm reduction program but is encouraged to do so by the state.
“Basically we just signed on with them because we don’t have the expertise or the manpower here to do a needle exchange program,” Davis said.
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