At Ohio Marijuana Card, we know that many prospective medical marijuana patients have expressed frustration over the numerous delays in getting marijuana cultivators, processors and dispensaries up and running. Even though our team of certified doctors are already hard at work recommending medical marijuana to patients, because of Ohio's strict set of guidelines, the business of cultivation and sales have resulted in more than a few snags. But today, Ohio's medical marijuana industry took one step closer to becoming operational, thanks to recent approvals from the Ohio Department of Commerce.
According to their website, the Ohio Department of Commerce is authorized to award up to 40 provisional licenses for processors. These processors package and produce cannabis after receiving product from the state's marijuana cultivators.
The first round of awards included applicants who met the minimum requirements of the application. They are:
185.48 – Ohio Grown Therapies, LLC (Johnstown, Licking County)
182.00 – Fire Rock Processing Ltd. (Columbus, Franklin County)
177.28 – Ohio Green Grow LLC (Toledo, Lucas County)
176.72 - Greenleaf Therapeutics, LLC (Middlefield, Geauga County or Willoughby, Lake County) *
172.20 – Grow Ohio Pharmaceuticals, LLC (Newtown Township, Muskingum County)
156.52 – Standard Farms Ohio LLC (Garfield Heights, Cuyahoga County)
155.32 – Corsa Verde, LLC (Columbus, Franklin County)
There are still six applicants who may be eligible for licenses in the first round. Tax and/or background checks are still pending for these applicants. A second round of review will occur for applications needing additional clarifying information.
This pool of applicants will be scored and awarded separately from the Round 1 recipients. For the remaining applicants, the department will be asking for additional clarifying information. To receive a certificate of operation, each provisional licensee will have to comply with all statutory and rule requirements which includes zoning requirements of the locality.
While dispensaries are still a few months away from opening, this latest move marks a major step in making that happen. As always, stay tuned for more news. Ohio Marijuana Card's goal is not only to provide recommendations from our state-certified doctors, but to also keep our customers informed about all Ohio marijuana news!