School concerned over proposed drive-through for marijuana dispensary

ST. LOUIS – With 850 students, South Broadway in Soulard can get busy as Lift for Life Academy ends its school day.

"There are certain times of the day there is heavy congestion. We use this entire block for dismissal," Lift for Life Academy Executive Director Marshall Cohen said.

Cohen says that is why he is concerned about a proposal to add a drive-through at the Kind Goods marijuana dispensary across the street. The owner requested a permit for that drive-through in July.

"We don't know where accidents are going to happen or not. The issue with this is they're adding an additional exit onto this short span of Lafayette, and that's our concern," Cohen said. The potential drive-through exit is directly across Lafayette Street from a driveway that the families and staff of Lift for Life use. Because of that, Cohen says he wants Kind Goods to shut the proposed drive-through down at certain times.

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"We had this other idea of when we had arrival and dismissal just for congestion and safety, could we have a black-out window?" he said.

The dispensary's owners did not respond to a request for an interview.

This is not the first time Lift for Life Academy has fought the dispensary. When Kind Goods was first set to open, the school tried to stop it because it says it is only 150 feet away from the school. Missouri law says a dispensary cannot open within 1,000 feet of a school. However, cities are allowed to write their own regulations on the matter, and St. Louis has no distance requirement for marijuana facilities. Now that it is here, Cohen says he wants to make sure it is safe for his students.

The Kind Goods building used to be home to a Jimmy John's that also had a drive-through. But Cohen says this is different.

"When they get the order in, are they going to be inebriated? We don't know," he said.

The city is still considering granting the permit for the drive-through. A decision is expected within two weeks.