Businesses apply to dispense medical marijuana in county

The Medical Marijuana Cultivator Application period has closed and 18 businesses have applied to dispense medical marijuana in Lorain County.

However, some who are in the profession of treating addictions say there should be close scrutiny of the dispensaries.

Elaine Georgas, executive director of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board of Lorain County, believes the selling of medical marijuana should be treated similarly to the selling of alcohol.

“If a dispensary sets up business, we need to make sure they hold their license responsibly,” Georgas said. “We know young people have a way of getting their hands on substances they shouldn’t.

“So, we just need to know the businesses are operating the way they should.”

Georgas said addiction agencies have only started to vet the businesses and the process.

“Medical marijuana was something that was voted on as something that is okay to have in Ohio,” she said. “We have looked at how other communities, in states where marijuana is legal, have treated medical marijuana and how best to react.

“If used and dispensed properly, we will treat it similarly to selling alcohol.”

The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program has released the list of the applicants.

It contains the name of the business, other trade names for the business and the individual to contact:

• AFS Cultivation LLC, Sky Ohio, William Brothers

• Cannavations OH LLC, Cannavations , Robert Greene

• Cansortium Health Ohio LLC, Knox Medical, Jose Hidalgo

• Corsa Verde LLC, doing business as Botanica, Bryan Hill

• Debbie’s Dispensary Ohio 4 LLC, Debbie’s Dispensary, Sara Presler

• E-Town Revival Inc., Jazmyn Stover

• Glasshouse Retail 4 LLC, Brent Zimmerman

• Goodtree Healthcare LLC, Goodtree Healthcare, Yevgeniy Shteyngarts

• Great Lakes Canna Therapeutics LLC, Kathleen Blood

• GTI Ohio LLC, Robert George

• Herbal Wellness Clinic, Michael Rich/Raymond Bolin, Michael Rich

• KDJOH LLC, Mitchell Kahn

• Maribis Ohio LLC, Maribis Ohio, Laurel Dineff

• Natural Remedies, Angel Dawson

• NMG Ohio LLC, BAM Body and Mind, Robert Hasman

• Sanctuary Medicinals LLC, Kevin Murphy

• Stella’s Two Sisters Inc., Nancy Stella

• Treat and Kure Dispensary 5 LLC, Todd Leebow

The listing doesn’t name the locations of the potential dispensaries.

According to the state Department of Commerce, website Level I cultivators will be permitted to operate an initial marijuana cultivation area up to 25,000 square feet.

Level II cultivators will be permitted to operate an initial marijuana cultivation area of 3,000 square feet, the website says.

Licensees may submit an expansion request pursuant to the cultivator rules, according to the website.

The commerce department received 109 Level I applications and 76 Level II applications, the website says.

From these, the commerce department will award up to 12 Level I and up to 12 Level II certificates of operation, according to the website.

The commerce department has posted a list of applicants to the Ohio Medical Marijuana website http://medicalmarijuana.ohio.gov/. The list is posted on the cultivators tab.