As the state continues moving toward the issuance of licenses for additional compassion centers, two proposals for medical marijuana dispensaries have emerged in Cranston.

The city’s Development Plan Review Committee on Nov. 18 granted approvals to preliminary plans for The Winding Rhode Compassion Center and New Leaf Compassion Center, according to Planning Director Jason Pezzullo.

That, he said, is “just one hurdle” the proposed facilities need to clear. Both now head to the city’s Zoning Board of Review as the respective applicants seek special use permits.

If those permits are granted, the proposals would meet the requirements set forth by the state’s Department of Business Regulation as it prepares to award, through a lottery, six new medical marijuana dispensary licenses – one each for six geographic zones across Rhode Island. The application period for the licenses closes Dec. 15, and the selections are scheduled to be made at some point in 2021.

“Based on that deadline from the state, Cranston will be able to put forward two reasonable proposals,” Pezzullo said, noting that both proposals are for medical dispensary operations only and include no cultivation of marijuana. That is based on updated state regulations from earlier this year.

The Winding Rhode Compassion Center would be located at 100 Glen Road, while the New Leaf Compassion Center is being eyed for 24 Stafford Court. Both sites are located within M-2 industrial zones.

Winding Rhode’s proposal calls for the demotion of an existing 29,600-square-foot building and the construction of a new 4,800-square-foot facility, as well as related parking and landscaping improvements. Pezzullo said the plan has been revised from an earlier version that sought to utilize the existing building and would not have met dimensional and parking requirements.

The New Leaf proposal seeks to redevelop the existing structure at the site into a dispensary, with parking improvements also planned.

Currently, there are three licensed compassion centers in Rhode Island – the Thomas C. Slater Compassion Center in Providence, Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center in Portsmouth and Summit Medical Compassion Center Unit in Warwick.

The state approved the issuance of six additional licenses in 2019, and in March of this year, DBR unveiled its updated regulations. The onset of the pandemic then delayed the opening of the application period for prospective compassion centers, which began in July.

In terms of the geographic distribution of the new licenses, Cranston sits in Zone 4, which also includes Warwick, East Greenwich and North Kingstown.

In a “frequent asked questions” document on its website, DBR indicates that each applicant for a new compassion center license is required to “submit evidence that its proposed location complies with local zoning laws in the form of a certificate or letter from an authorized zoning official. A Special Use Permit allowing a medical marijuana compassion center will fulfill this requirement.”

The document continues: “If a final zoning approval/certificate is not available upon submission of an application, the applicant must include in its application a letter from an authorized zoning official confirming that a complete zoning application has been received by and is under review by the city/town along with the projected timetable for final decision. Thereafter, if the applicant is selected for licensure in a random lottery, the applicant will have nine (9) months from the date of selection to complete all pre-requisites for issuance of the compassion center license, including providing the Department with confirmation that the city/town has issued a final special use permit or other applicable zoning approval.”

According to DBR, there is a nonrefundable fee of $10,000 for each application. Each facility that is selected will be responsible for a $500,000 annual licensing fee.

Local leaders took steps earlier this year to prepare for the possibility of a compassion center coming to the city. In February, the City Council approved an ordinance sponsored by Mayor Allan Fung that amended the city’s ordinance to add new language regarding medical marijuana dispensaries.

The language prohibits the facilities in all zones aside from the M-1 and M-2 industrial zones, and requires a special use permit through the Zoning Board of Review.

The language also prohibits the facilities from being within 1,000 feet of an educational institution, within 400 feet of any residential zone or within 500 feet of multiple types of facilities, including day cares, libraries, playgrounds and houses of worship.