Dispensary, testing facility sought for south Columbia rezoning

A newly created Columbia business wants the city to allow them to create a medical marijuana dispensary and a possible testing facility in the south part of town.

The request from COMO Health LLC asks the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission to allow for those uses at the building located at 3810 Buttonwood Drive. Charlotte Corrado, the company’s director of operations, told the commission on Aug. 29 that they had applied to the state for a license to operate a dispensary. If that is approved, Corrado said they could expand it to include a testing facility.

Corrado’s letter to the commission said COMO Health had an agreement with the building’s owner, Three Cards LLC and Elliot Erdel, for the dispensary.

“The owners of COMO Health LLC have resided, owned businesses and have been productive members of the Columbia, MO community for more than 16 years,” the letter said. “COMO Health LLC will follow all rules and regulations put forth by the State and the City if the licenses are awarded.”

Records with the Secretary of State’s Office shows that COMO Health was created in June. Jason Corrado is listed as the company’s registered agent.

Three Cards LLC bought the building in 2012, according to county property records. State records show that business seeks to “buy and sell flooring and wallcovering products.”

The Columbia City Council passed zoning rules for medical marijuana businesses in June. Rules for obtaining city business licenses for those facilities are still being worked out by legal staff.

More than 2,100 businesses applied for a state license to serve as one of the first medical marijuana facilities. The state will award 192 dispensary licenses by the end of the year, along with 10 testing facilities, 60 cultivation facilities and 86 infused product manufacturing locations.

At least 34 facilities listed Columbia as their proposed business location, with 24 of those dispensaries, according to a list of pre-filed application information. COMO Health is not on that list.