Local operations among list of proposed Ohio pot growers

The Ohio Medical COLUMBUS — Marijuana Control Program on Friday released 372 pages of information on the 180 entities applying for grower licenses, including locations of where they want to put their pot farms.

At least 17 operations are proposed for the Miami Valley, including six in Dayton, three in Wilmington and two in Huber Heights. Some of the proposed growing facilities would be tucked among tool-and-die shops, auto parts stores and warehouses.

Ohio’s medical marijuana law allows people with 21 medical conditions, including cancer and chronic pain, to purchase and use marijuana after getting a doctor’s recommendation. The law prohibits smoking or homegrow.

Ohio has some of the country’s highest licensing fees. Small growers pay $2,000 to apply and $18,000 in licensing fees, while large growers pay $20,000 to apply and $180,000 in licensing. The applications will be scored out of 100 points based on their business plans, cultivation methods and past industry experience.

The state is reviewing the applications and will award licenses in November. The law must be fully operational by Sept. 8, 2018.

Entrepreneurs are asking for licenses to grow medical marijuana from Akron to Zanesville. While most of the applicants are rooted in Ohio, proposals came from at least half a dozen other states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania and Illinois.

Some communities are welcoming medical marijuana while others are pushing it away.

Central State University and Hocking College were the only two public institutions to apply for medical marijuana testing labs licenses by the Sept. 22 deadline.