First Ohio marijuana grow sites announced

Operations in Dayton, Huber Heights among 11 to win licenses.

Operations in DayCOLUMBUS — ton and Huber Heights were included among the 11 Level II medical marijuana licenses announced Friday by the state of Ohio, but there remains some uncertainty whether either site will be state-approved to grow pot.

Two companies submitted applications for multiple loca- tions, but can choose only one under state rules. That means Ohio Clean Leaf LLC has 10 days to decide whether to pick from its proposed sites in Dayton and Carroll in Fairfield County.

The Huber Heights site also could get rejected, but for a different reason. The city has a ban on marijuana-grow operations.

Although Paragon Development Group, LLC, won a Level II license for an operation in Huber Heights, it will have to abide by all local zoning restrictions and laws, said Ohio Department of

Commerce spokeswoman Stephanie Gostomski.

Jason Wilson, Paragon’s chief security officer, said the company is working to finalize a deal to shift the location to a city in Miami County.

“I’m ecstatic about it. I think it’s great,” he said of the news that Paragon was awarded one of the coveted licenses.

Friday’s announcement was anxiously awaited by the 76 applicants vying for up to 12 Level II licenses, which allow cultivation on up to 3,000 square feet.

Another 109 entities are seeking Level I licenses, which allow for cultivation up to 25,000 square feet.

Level I license awards will be announced in the coming weeks, though no target date has been set, Gostomski said.

Among the other area sites named in the Level II licenses were one in Monroe and one in Wilmington.

Here is the list:

■ Fire Rock Ltd., which will pick one of three locations identified — Columbus, Canton or Akron.

■ FN Group Holdings, LLC, Ravenna, Portage County.

■ Mother Grows Best, LLC, Canton, Stark County.

■ OhiGrow, LLC, Toledo, Lucas County.

■ Ancient Roots, LLC, Wilmington, Clinton County.

■ Ohio Clean Leaf, LLC, which will pick either Dayton or Carroll location.

■ Ascension BioMedical, LLC, Oberlin, Lorain County.

■ Agri-Med Ohio, LLC, Langsville, Meigs County.

■ Paragon Development Group, LLC, Huber Heights.

■ Hemma, LLC, Monroe, Butler County.

■ Galenas, LLC, Akron, Summit County.

Applicants were scored based on their business, operations, quality assurance, security and financial plans, according to state commerce department officials.

Brian Wright of the Ohio Cannabis Association called Friday’s announcement “very exciting.”

“There were clearly many strong applicants and these selections for the Level II licenses reflect the best of the best,” Wright wrote in a written statement. “We are looking forward to working with them, our state leadership and the hundreds of thousands of Ohioans who will be able to have safe access to the medical treatments they need.”