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A medical marijuana dispensary in Peoria is expanding its operations.
The planning and zoning commission approved a Conditional Use Permit to expand the existing Ponderosa Releaf dispensary at 9240 W. Northern Avenue, Suite 103, in the Peoria Crossing commercial center, from 1,864 to 2,466 square feet by expanding into the vacant adjacent suite.
The dispensary opened in 2017.
Ponderosa Releaf spokeswoman Claudia Mihaljevic said the dispensary is a family-owned and -operated business committed to serving its patients with the best service and medical marijuana products available.
The dispensary’s mission is to provide each patient with a personalized experience that offers the most holistic relief and education possible, she said.
“We provide each and every patient with the personal care that we treat our own family with. We are expanding our dispensary to better serve our patients and help our community,” Ms. Mihaljevic said. “This expansion includes doubling our lobby space for less wait times and a more comfortable waiting area as well as doubling our medicine dispensing floorspace to better service our customers with more one-on-one interaction with our patient care advisors. In addition to this, we will be featuring even more diverse product lines to better fulfill our patients various needs.”
Other tenants within the existing multi-tenant commercial building include the Twisted Cultures Frozen Yogurt, Streets of New York restaurant and State Farm Insurance. Major tenants within Peoria Crossing Center include Kohl’s, Target, Petco and Michaels.
With the expansion, the dispensary is expecting to see about 200 customers per day.
At maximum capacity, up to 10 patients may be in the medicine dispensing area at one time and 30 persons within the lobby waiting area. Patients cannot access the dispensing room until verified through the Arizona Department of Health Services. Only one patient for every dispensary agent (employee) will be allowed. Non-cardholders will not be granted access to the dispensing room or be able to purchase items.
In Peoria, medical marijuana dispensaries require approval of a conditional use permit to operate and expand operations. Approval requires that all property owners within 600 feet of the site and registered HOAs within one mile are notified. It also requires the posting of a sign on the site notifying of the expansion at least 15-days prior to the public hearing.
These requirements were met and there was neither opposition nor support of the proposal, according to city documents.
To date, there are four medical marijuana dispensaries and no cultivation sites in Peoria.
Philip Haldiman can be reached at 623-876-3697, phaldiman@newszap.com, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman.
Philip Haldiman is a third generation Arizona native with brief residencies on the east and west coasts.
He has bachelor’s degrees in Theater and Journalism at Arizona State University, and is an award winning journalist with more than 15 years worth of experience in reporting and editing.
Most recently, he took first place for investigative reporting and third place for best sustained coverage or series at the 2023 Arizona Newspapers Association awards.
In his free time, he produces an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.
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