CRANBERRY TWP — Earthmoving work is expected to start next month at the site of Cranberry Township’s first medical marijuana dispensary.

Plans approved last fall by township supervisors call for The Healing Center to be built on a 2.6-acre lot at 270 Executive Drive. The one-story building will be 10,680 square feet, documents indicate, and will be an integrated health facility that will also offer other services.

According to Christopher Kohan, co-founder of The Healing Center, the company has recently opened a location in Washington, Pa., and will cut the ribbon on a Monroeville location on Tuesday.

After developers take a short break, Kohan said he expects land development to begin in mid-October. Kohan said that process is expected to be quite a bit of work.

“If we can get that done before the winter and get a pad down and get it all set out, once winter is done, we can start building,” he said, adding a fall 2019 opening date is envisioned.

Plans originally called for the Cranberry location to open this year, but Kohan said the large amount of land development at the site caused developers to decide to complete the other two projects first.

Act 16 of 2016, the state legislation allowing medical marijuana, allows it to be sold in pills, oil, topical, vaporizer, nebulizer, tincture and liquid forms. The law prohibits dispensaries from being built within 1,000 feet of any school or day care center. The first patients in the state were able to purchase medical marijuana earlier this year, and state law was expanded to include the sale of whole plant and flower cannabis.

To use any dispensary, patients must have one of the 17 serious medical conditions as established by the state and have a recommendation from a registered doctor. Patients must also apply for a medical marijuana ID card and pay the application fee, and must present that information before purchasing from a dispensary.

Kohan said since opening June 28, the Washington dispensary has seen more than 1,500 patients, many of whom are return customers.

“Everyone seems to be welcoming us, and it’s exciting to be able to help people who need it,” he said.

Kohan added the organization has four applications for similar facilities pending before local government bodies in New Castle, Johnstown, Duquesne and Aliquippa. No decisions have been made on those applications.