Two Lake County LLCs get provisional licenses

COLUMBUS » Ohio has licensed 56 locations that can sell medical marijuana once it becomes legal this fall, including two in Lake County.

The Ohio Board of Pharmacy on June 4 awarded those provisional dispensary licenses that give the stores six months to meet state operation requirements. A total of 376 applications were received.

Fifteen entities applied to sell medical marijuana in the region made up of Lake, Geauga and Portage counties. The two that were granted licenses are Greenleaf Apothecaries LLC at 30133 Euclid Ave. in Wickliffe, and 127 OH LLC at 382 Blackbrook Road in Painesville Township.

Dispensary licenses were denied for GTI Ohio LLC in Richmond Heights and 127 OH LLC in Euclid, but five licenses were approved for other dispensaries in

Cuyahoga County.

The executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association of Ohio, Thomas Rosenberger, says the board ended months of speculation about where patients will be able to get medical marijuana. Three of 31 geographic districts won’t have dispensaries.

They either received no applications or had no qualifying applicant.

Ohio’s 2016 medical marijuana law says the program must begin Sept. 8. Regulators of the program say not all of the state’s growers, manufacturers and dispensaries will be operational by the legislated deadline.

Ohio has selected 12 large growers to participate in its medical marijuana program, including Buckeye Relief LLC of Eastlake, which opens in late summer. Also June 4, the board launched a toll-free medical marijuana help-line for patients and caregivers at 833-464-6627.