MORE DETAILS
WHERE EACH ELEMENT OF THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM STANDS:
■ Growers: Just five of 26 cultivators have the go-ahead from the state to begin operations; six more are scheduled for final inspections this month. Although the state issued provisional licenses in November, demands that some application scoring be re-done and lawsuits threw up delays. Additionally, construction on some growing facilities was delayed by wet weather. The first cultivator in the state put plants in the ground at the end of July and anticipates harvesting product for testing, processing and selling by early next year.
■ Dispensaries: The state issued 56 provisional licenses to dispensaries on June 4 and they now have until Dec. 4 to get their certificates of operation. The pharmacy board is checking to make sure the licensees fulfill the promises they made on their dispensary applications. Regulators estimate that 56 dispensaries will need a patient population of 16,800 to 33,600 to sustain their business operations.
■ Patient & Caregiver Registry: The online system is built, tested and ready to go but officials are waiting for a better understanding of when dispensaries will open. Ohio patients’ legal defense for having medical marijuana on hand before the program is operational expires 60 days after the registry goes live. The system was built by Appriss at a cost of $520,000. Once the registry is live, patients will be able to set up accounts online and self-print their patient cards or download them to a smart phone. Patients and caregivers will be allowed to have up to a 90-day supply on hand.
■ Doctors: As of August, the state medical board has approved 222 physicians for ‘certificates to recommend.’ The list includes 18 doctors in the Dayton-Springfield area.
■ Hotline: A help line, 833-464-6627, went live June 4 to answer questions about medical marijuana and the state’s program. The call center, based in Bellefonaine, operates 7 a.m. to 9 p.m Monday through Saturday and averages 25 calls per day.
■ Processors: Ten processor licenses were issued in August — none in the Miami Valley. A total of 104 applications were received for up to 40 processor licenses. The processing facilities turn plant material into product lines, such as edibles or oils, that can be sold by dispensaries.
■ Labs: Two public universities — Central State University and Hocking Technical College — as well as Battelle Memorial Institute and North Coast Testing Laboratories were awarded lab licenses. Five other private entities also applied. Central State is partnering with a Buckeye Agriculture, LLC, a Springfield company operated by Argeri and Yianni Lagos, to provide up to $2.5 million in funding to build out the laboratory and provide working capital, according to the university’s application.
WILL MEDICAL MARIJUANA BE AVAILABLE TO MINORS?
Yes. However, a certified physician may recommend treatment only after obtaining the consent of a parent or another person responsible for providing consent to treatment.
CAN MEDICAL MARIJUANA BE GROWN FOR PERSONAL CONSUMPTION?
No.
HOW MUCH MEDICAL MARIJUANA WILL A REGISTERED PATIENT OR CAREGIVER POSSESS AT ANY ONE TIME?
The amount must not exceed a 90-day supply.
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