As our readers already know, there has been serious delays in getting Ohio's Medical Marijuana Control Program up and running. This, quite naturally, has been very frustrating. Medical marijuana patients are battling a myriad of health conditions, including chronic pain, PTSD, seizures, Alzheimer's and cancer, so any delay in the program is a delay in how long they must wait in order to receive relief from their suffering and get the medicine they deserve.
Thankfully, after several annoying legal and bureaucratic hurdles, things are finally starting to look up as cultivators are now growing product, with hopes of seeing that product in stores by early December ... with some cultivators aiming for even sooner.
Cultivation Time!
Dayton Daily News is reporting that a few large and small scale cultivators are gearing up for their very first harvest. Mark Hamlin of the Ohio Department of Commerce said at a meeting on Thursday (9/4/18) that two small-scale cultivators — one in Miegs County and another in Portage County — will soon have product.
Also, a testing facility at Hocking Technical College will be seeking state inspection by early November. This inspection is paramount to getting their final license to test medical marijuana.
Testing facilities are key because all medical marijuana must be tested before being sold on the market. This process ensures that all medical marijuana is not only potent and medicinally effective, but also free of toxic chemicals and pesticides.
More and More Cultivators Are Gearing Up For Harvest
Meanwhile, Cincinnati.com has an awesome sneak peak at Cresco Labs, one of the cultivators located in southwest Ohio. Check it out by clicking here. They spoke with Cresco CEO Charlie Bachtell, who explained that his greenhouse is more than just any old ordinary greenhouse.
"Calling it a greenhouse almost does it a disservice,'' Bachtell told Cincinnati.com. "I like to call it a super technologically advanced warehouse with a translucent roof on top.''
Cresco labs is just one of several cultivators now growing marijuana throughout the state of Ohio. Large scale cultivator, Buckeye Relief, is also making progress, with hopes of seeing their harvest in December.
Another cultivator, Agri-Med Ohio, is also nearing the final stages of their first medical marijuana harvest. News 5 Cleveland took a look at their facility in Langsville, Ohio.
“It’s very exciting,” Agri-Med Ohio Cultivation Manager Justin Matherly told News 5 Cleveland. “Very exciting. We’re hoping that one or two processors get to market because we’re going to have product."
Patient Registry
It should only be a matter of time now until Ohio officially opens their patient registry, which will allow patients with an existing medical marijuana recommendation to register and receive their official card from the state. This registry is said to be tested and operational, and should go online roughly 60 days before dispensaries open their doors. When this happens, we will be the first to let our readers and patients know.
In the meantime, if you don't yet have your recommendation for medical marijuana in Ohio, click here to find out if you qualify, or give our kind Ohio Marijuana Card support team a call at 1-866-457-5559.