Ohio plans to have more than twice as many medical cannabis dispensaries |

A governing body in Ohio on Tuesday gave the green light to plans that would more than double the number of medical cannabis dispensaries in the state.

The Ohio Board of Pharmacy voted, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer, to “begin the process of issuing an additional 73 licenses.” There are currently 58 licensed pharmacies in Buckeye state, with the Enquirer finding nine of them “owned and operated by someone who identifies as African American, American Indian, Hispanic, Latino, or Asian.”

The Enquirer reported that equity requirements “were not discussed during the meeting or mentioned in Tuesday’s motion for approved applications,” and that a spokesman for the Ohio Board of Pharmacy said the board “is still considering how to promote equity within the pharmacy.” can”. state laws and regulations. “

According to the paper, cultivation and pharmacy licenses were “issued in 2017 and 2018 under state law that required 15 percent of all marijuana licenses to go to companies owned by a member of one of these ‘economically disadvantaged’ groups,” but that was a requirement later “laid down in court and will not come into effect for this second round of applications for 73 new licenses starting this month”.

Further details on the application process are to be announced next week for the time being. The application phase runs in November and the licenses are expected to be awarded early next year.

Ohio legalized medical marijuana in 2016 when state lawmakers passed bill that approved the treatment. Three years later, the state’s first pharmacies opened while the law continues to optimize and expand.

In June, the Ohio State Medical Board added Huntington’s Disease, Incurable Disorders, and Spasticity to its list of qualifying disorders, but also declined to include Autism Spectrum Disorder, Restless Legs Syndrome, Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia, and convulsions.

That same month, the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program enacted new rules for the use of Delta-8 THC, which included a new notice from the licensee: “Use of Delta-8 THC must contain a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that governs the procedures and methods by which Delta-8 THC is used in accordance with applicable state laws.

The panel also issued requirements that the “total THC content – combination of delta-9 THC and any other THC isomer or analogue – of the manufactured product must not exceed 70 percent,” a remarkable requirement given the similarities of hemp obtained Delta-8 with marijuana. With this in mind, the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program required that Delta-8 THC “must be completely on the packaging and label for patient awareness” and that there be no abbreviations such as “Delta-8” or “D8″ ” permitted.

But while the state’s medical marijuana law continues to evolve, efforts to legalize recreational cannabis have been slow to get underway.

In July, two Ohio lawmakers passed what was supposedly the first law to legalize and regulate the cultivation and sale of marijuana in the state’s history.

The law, introduced by Democratic State Representatives Casey Weinstein and Terrence Upchurch, would make it legal for adults 21 and older to “buy and own up to five ounces of marijuana at a time and grow up to 12 mature plants for personal use “. . “

“We see that there are dramatic economic benefits, there are medical benefits, and there is a strong criminal justice path here so that we can focus law enforcement on violent crimes,” Weinstein said after the bill was introduced. “Ohio is at the point where we will fall behind if we don’t act now. I hope this provides the spark we need to get the conversation going and get this legislation moving. “

The state’s Republican governor Mike Dewine previously spoke out against legalizing marijuana.