Ohio's medical marijuana industry is just beginning to take root throughout the state, with Ohio Marijuana Card doctors offices open now, and marijuana dispensaries expected to begin opening this fall. Sadly, the process of gaining State approval has been something of a serious challenge for cultivators, from jumping through the State's complicated hoops, to building or renovating a grow facility and hiring and training a passionate staff of marijuana cultivators, all while trying to adhere to the State's September 8, 2018 start date for having facilities operational.
Slowly, but surely, growing sites have started getting approved to begin planting medical marijuana, with a few smaller operations already underway throughout the state. Still, there is little hope that most dispensaries and cultivators will meet the September 8 start date. But this week, thankfully, saw significant movement as Ohio granted approval of a Level I Cultivation License to Buckeye Relief.
Buckeye Relief is the first of thirteen Level I Cultivators approved by the State to grow medical marijuana. This license would allow them to commence a large-scale growing operation, the first of its kind in Ohio. According to Crain's Cleveland Business, Buckeye Relief will grow between 8000 and 10000 plants in their facility, located in Eastlake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland.
"It took an amazing effort from our team at Buckeye Relief, the City of Eastlake, our construction partner, and local unions to build a facility of this quality and capability in less than 8 months," said Andy Rayburn, Buckeye Relief Co-Founder and CEO, in a statement. "Our BR team is already focused on planting and shifting our efforts to producing medicine of the highest quality for Ohio’s patients."
There will also be thirteen smaller-scale Level II growing operations spread across Ohio. The first of those growing facilities, Wellspring Fields, have already been granted their cultivation license and have begun planting. More approvals of Level I and II cultivators are planned later this summer, and throughout the fall. Keep an eye on this page for more news and updates!
Naturally, the quicker we see growing facilities planting their seeds, and producing quality medical marijuana for all Ohio marijuana card patients, the sooner we will see product in Ohio medical marijuana dispensaries.
Though smoking marijuana has been strictly prohibited by Ohio medical marijuana law, cannabis cultivators will still be growing cannabis flowers for sale in state-licensed dispensaries, in addition to marijuana-infused waxes, oils, tinctures, edibles and topical creams. To find a dispensary near you, check out our comprehensive list of dispensaries by county.