Officials approve security, transportation plans for three medical pot facilities

Nye County commissioners approved security and transportation plans for three medical marijuana facilities.

County Planning Department Director Darrell Lacy said the three approved facilities met minimum requirements. Among them are cultivation facilities Panorama WON, LLC/Wellness Orchards and GWGA, both in Pahrump, and a production and cultivation facility, MM Development in Beatty.

“The sheriff had a few comments that have been communicated to the applicants. We make sure that at final inspections all of these issues are taken care of,” Lacy said.

All medical marijuana establishments are required to have an approved security and transportation plan.

A safety and security transportation plan includes site plans and floor plans that show the layout of the building, construction methods, number and types of cameras and their locations, fencing, gates, security guard information, information on transport vehicles, transport procedures and policies, employee training, policies, procedures and methods, and waste disposal procedures.

Panorama WON, LLC/Wellness Orchards’ cultivation facility at 801 S. Panorama Road in Pahrump met minimum standards for the security and transportation plan.

“The applicant agrees that there’s a final inspection in which they have to demonstrate compliance,” said Amanda Connor, attorney for the applicant.

MM Development, a cultivation and production facility at Airport Road and Highway 95 in Beatty was also approved.

“The plan for that property is a complete 80 acres. It’s currently utilizing the building that was on the property for small cultivation,” Nye County Commissioner Dan Schinhofen said. “Before they move forward, I would approve the plan the way it is provided they can demonstrate that they have 24-hour security monitoring, so an off-site monitoring site and contingent on before moving forward with their plan.”

Nye County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly also toured the site and requested more cameras be added.

“She identified certain dead spots that she wanted cameras placed,” applicant Robert Groesbeck said. “We agree to all that. An additional seven cameras were added. We’ve got full perimeter coverage on the exterior of the building as well and we have no problem with the follow-up inspections. We believe that we are compliant.”

GWGA cultivation facility at 1340 West Highway 372 in Pahrump was also approved.

“The sheriff had a few concerns that have been communicated to the applicant. Negotiations or discussions are ongoing with those. At the final inspection, we will make sure that they meet all minimum standards,” Lacy said.

Nye County has more stringent requirements than the state of Nevada in the areas of video-camera recording, live monitoring capabilities, transport vehicle requirements, and use of on-site security guards.

“The county requires that recordings from the security cameras must be maintained in a retrievable manner for at least 60 days from the date recorded, while the state only requires 30 days. The county requires that MMEs provide web-based real time video monitoring accessible to the Nye County Sheriff’s Office, the state does not require this,” Nye County Planner Steve Osborne said.

The county also has more stringent requirements concerning transport vehicles.

“The county requires that a minimum of two cameras must be installed in all transport vehicles, and recorded to a vehicle Digital Video Recorder (DVR); cameras must be installed to view the driver cab area and interior cargo compartment; transport vehicles must have GPS tracking system for live vehicle tracking - the state doesn’t require this. And, the county requires the use of security guards - the state doesn’t require security guards,” Osborne said.

In addition, medical marijuana establishments must have a Special Use Permit, a Water Impact Plan, a Site Development Plan, building permit, Certificate of Occupancy, Nye County Medical Marijuana Establishment license, and a State of Nevada certificate.

Officials took no action on CW Nevada production facility, Nye Farm Tech cultivation facility, and NuVeda production and cultivation facilities. All of the facilities are located in Pahrump.

Contact reporter Daria Sokolova at dsokolova@pvtimes.com