July 5, 2018

Ohio Issues First Medical Marijuana Growing License, Far Behind Schedule

July 5, 2018
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FN Group Holdings, one of 25 licensees for medical cannabis, just received an official cultivator license from the state

For the first time, after a series of mishaps and a lot of controversy, an Ohio company has finally been given the go-ahead to start growing marijuana.

FN Group Holdings, one of 25 to receive licenses to grow medical cannabis, just received an official cultivator license from the state. More than a dozen other companies are lined up for inspections, though it’s likely not enough to keep the state’s medical marijuana program on schedule. 

In June, Ohio awarded 56 provisional dispensary licenses for businesses to sell MMJ. The sites were given just six months to meet state operation requirements.

Although medicinal marijuana will officially be legal to distribute, sell, and purchase on September 8, the Ohio Department of Commerce says it’s unlikely the crop will be ready by then, reported WOSU.

Meanwhile, Cleveland City Councilman Blaine Griffin says it’s time to explore what’s next for recreational marijuana in Cleveland. 

“We want to make sure that whatever we do is fair,” said Councilman Griffin, according to News5Cleveland.

Griffin is proposing a working group, bringing together law enforcement with city departments to work through the red tape.

“We believe it’s time for us to start having that discussion and seeing if it might be the right thing to do in the city of Cleveland,” said Griffin, who noted that property zoning would have to change and other rules the city would want to form, making the new industry beneficial for everyone.

“Lots of other council people have had the same conversations that I’ve had with their residents,” said Griffin. “We need to get out of the dark ages with this.”

Legal experts say it’s too early to know what kind of impact a recreational program would have on the new medical market.

“We have seen in other states that typically when an adult use program is implemented, it does affect the medical market and lead to a reduction in sales in the medical market,” said Lawyer Tom Haren, who represents businesses in the medical marijuana industry.

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