Ohio issues applications for medical cannabis growers

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Prospective medical marijuana growers can start applying for a license in Ohio now that the state has begun issuing applications for one of 24 available MMJ cultivation permits.

The Ohio Department of Commerce plans to issue up to 12 licenses for large grows totaling as much as 25,000 square feet of growing space and another dozen for small grows ranging up to 3,000 square feet.


MJBizConApplicants will be required to meet capital requirements and secure local zoning approval for the proposed…

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Firm funds $1.85M marijuana research at Ohio University

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Ohio-based Black Elk Biotech has awarded Ohio University (OU) a $1.85 million contract to examine therapeutic benefits generated from cannabis and other natural products.

Black Elk Biotech is a subsidiary of Black Elk, an Ohio company focused on products and medicines derived from fruits, trees, plants and other vegetation.

According to The Post – an independent student-run newspaper on the OU campus – the funding will bankroll research into natural treatments for various medical…

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Regulations finalized for Ohio medical cannabis growers

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A panel of Ohio lawmakers signed off on final rules governing the state’s new medical marijuana cultivators, approving 24 licensed sites that will carry hefty fees.

The cultivator rules, which also spell out application and license fees for MMJ dispensaries, product processors and testing labs, passed the Ohio legislature’s Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review without objection on Monday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported.

They will be officially filed by the end of April and are set…

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Ohio to accept medical cannabis grower applications in June

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Ohio regulators will begin taking applications for its 24 available cultivation licenses in June and review them in July.

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, winning applicants will have nine months to meet the program’s requirements. It’s not clear when regulators will choose the winning applicants.


Mirth ProvisionsThe Ohio Department of Commerce is expected to release application forms and instructions in the next couple of weeks, the Plain Dealer reported. Officials will then host a webinar to…

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Week in Review: Pro-cannabis bills in Congress, Canada rec legalization & Ohio’s testing plans

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By John Schroyer, Omar Sacirbey and Bart Schaneman

Federal lawmakers introduce a slew of pro-marijuana bills, Canada eyes legalizing adult-use cannabis by July 2018, and concerns crop up over a little-known provision in Ohio’s MMJ law.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

Congress tries again

Thursday’s news that seven bills were introduced in Congress to reform national cannabis laws was greeted with exultation from many in the…

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Testing rule worries Ohio medical marijuana advocates

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Medical marijuana advocates in Ohio are concerned a little-known rule that stipulates who can test cannabis products could delay the launch of the program.

Under the state’s MMJ law, private laboratories will not be allowed to test medical cannabis for the first year of the program, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Instead, the state’s public universities will be responsible for testing.


Spring 2017 MJBizConHowever, universities may decline to test medical marijuana products because cannabis remains…

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Ohio medical cannabis entrepreneurs seek residency rules

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Ohio entrepreneurs looking to venture into the marijuana industry are calling on state regulators to institute a residency requirement for those seeking cultivation licenses.

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, several entrepreneurs spoke out during a public comment period this week and urged the Ohio Department of Commerce to require license holders to hail from Ohio.


Spring 2017 MJBizCon Up for grabs are 12 larger-scale grower licenses and 12 smaller-operation licenses. The applications favor proof…

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New Market: Ohio medical cannabis program set to be big, but license rules could curb growth

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This is the 11th article in a series looking at the potential cannabis market in states that are rolling out new marijuana programs. The first eight articles examined states that approved recreational or medical marijuana initiatives in the 2016 election. This new round of installments focuses on states that have approved new markets through legislation. Click here for previous articles.

By Bart Schaneman

Ohio’s medical cannabis program is expected to be large, generating up to $400 million in annual dispensary sales several years down the…

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Week in Review: Contaminated medical cannabis, CO workplace safety & Ohio’s tech search

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By John Schroyer, Omar Sacirbey and Bart Schaneman

Tainted medical cannabis is suspected in a California cancer patient’s death, Colorado creates a workplace-safety guide, and Ohio is in the market for a seed-to-sale tracking system.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

More liability lawsuits?

The potential for costly lawsuits over defective – and possibly dangerous – products remains an overlooked legal aspect for businesses in the growing cannabis industry.

That threat…

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Ohio seeks seed-to-sale system for medical cannabis program

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Ohio is seeking a company to develop and implement a seed-to-sale tracking system for the state’s new medical marijuana industry.

The software platform would track the medical cannabis supply chain, everything from cultivation and transportation to dispensary inventories and sales, according to the Cincinnati Business Courier.

Ohio’s MMJ program is expected to be large, generating between $200 million and $400 million in annual retail sales via dispensaries once the market matures, according to preliminary estimates by Marijuana…

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Week in Review: Connecticut MMJ research bodes well, OH docs hesitant & Maine rec is a go

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By Omar Sacirbey and Bart Schaneman

Connecticut research could benefit the entire medical cannabis industry, a survey shows most Ohio physicians won’t write MMJ recommendations, and Maine’s adult-use program is a go after recount is halted.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

Marijuana beats opiates

Research announcements this week from two respected Connecticut medical institutions provided a fitting year-end reminder that one of the biggest gains cannabis reform has made over…

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Survey: Most Ohio doctors won’t recommend medical marijuana

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A majority of doctors in Ohio will be reluctant to recommend medical marijuana for their patients, according to the Medical Marijuana Physician Survey, a situation that could hamper the rollout of the state’s MMJ program.

Roughly 30% of the physicians who participated in an Ohio State Medical Board survey said they will not recommend medical marijuana as a treatment, and more than 40% said they are unlikely to recommend MMJ.

A dearth of doctors could limit the patient pool, which in turn could hamper MMJ sales.

Of the more than 3,000…

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Week in Review: Canada’s cannabis guidelines, Ohio’s dispensary rules & MJ’s big week in DC

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By Bart Schaneman and Omar Sacirbey

A task force makes recommendations on how the Canadian government should approach legalizing recreational marijuana, Ohio writes draft rules for MMJ dispensaries, and cannabis has a big week in Washington DC.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

Small or big? 

Will Canada’s new adult-use marijuana market be open to small businesses – or dominated by big corporations?

Jodie Emery, a political activist and owner of Cannabis Culture, a magazine…

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Ohio’s draft medical cannabis rules call for up to 40 dispensaries

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Ohio would have up to 40 dispensaries under draft regulations for its medical marijuana industry released Thursday.

The proposed rules, drafted by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, would require prospective dispensary owners to pay a $5,000 application fee as well as an $80,000 license fee every other year, according to The Plain Dealer. Potential owners also would be required to have a minimum of $250,000 in liquid assets.


Marijuana Business License DirectoryUnder the draft rules, dispensaries would have to employ a pharmacist, nurse, physician or physician’s assistant to…

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Draft Ohio cultivation rules: 18 licenses, huge fees

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As many as 18 licenses would be available for medical marijuana growers in Ohio under proposed rules released by the state.

The draft regulations suggest two types of cultivation licenses: one for grows up to 15,000 square feet, and another for those totaling no more than 1,600 square feet. The state would award a dozen licenses for large cultivation operations and six for the smaller facilities.


Conference Deadline ApproachingFees for cultivation licenses would be some of the most expensive in the country, behind only Illinois and New York, if the regulations are…

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Poll: Majority of Americans favor rec marijuana legalization

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As five states prepare to vote on legalizing recreational marijuana in November, a new Pew Research Center poll shows the majority of Americans favor legalization.


Conference Deadline ApproachingAccording to Pew, 57% of Americans say marijuana should be legal, with 37% opposed. Ten years ago the numbers were flipped, with 60% saying it should be illegal and 32% in favor of legalization. The latest poll was conducted Aug. 23-Sept. 2 among 1,201 U.S. adults.

Half the states have legalized marijuana in one form or another, and three more will vote to legalize medical…

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Tale of Two States: Pennsylvania, Ohio Medical Marijuana Programs Moving at Different Pace

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cannabis in ohio and pennsylvania

By Omar Sacirbey

Pennsylvania and Ohio legalized medical marijuana within weeks of one another over the spring, but their programs are advancing at different speeds.

Officials in Pennsylvania unveiled wide-ranging draft regulations last week governing the state’s new MMJ program, while neighboring Ohio is still a long way from that milestone. 

Ohio’s government leaders must still establish an advisory board that will help pen regulations, and final rules for all licensed cannabis businesses might not materialize until early September of…

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Ohio Commits Money to Implement Medical Marijuana Program

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A bipartisan Ohio budget panel voted unanimously to release some $1.8 million to implement the state’s new medical marijuana program, delivering funds to regulators that will oversee the new industry.

The Ohio Department of Commerce and the state’s pharmacy board – the two agencies in charge of licensing MMJ firms – requested the money. Ohio’s medical cannabis law didn’t include provision for funding MMJ regulatory agencies, the Toledo Blade reported.

The commerce department, which will license growers, processors and testing…

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Ohio Supreme Court Weighs MMJ Rule Change for Laywers

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The Ohio Supreme Court signaled Wednesday it might rewrite its ethics rules to permit lawyers in the state to help medical marijuana businesses, a move that would no doubt be welcomed by MMJ entrepreneurs and attorneys.

Earlier this month, the state supreme court’s Board of Professional Conduct issued a non-binding but influential advisory opinion warning that lawyers who counsel cannabis-touching business clients would be violating federal law and thereby its rules of conduct.

Some observers feared attorneys would avoid counseling…

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Ohio Supreme Court Delivers Blow to State’s MMJ Lawyers

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The Ohio Supreme Court’s Board of Professional Conduct has determined that local lawyers who help marijuana entrepreneurs launch their businesses or offer advice would be violating its code of professional conduct.

The non-binding, advisory decision is a blow to prospective cannabis entrepreneurs who want to set up a medical cannabis business in the state – as well as lawyers who want to serve new companies. The board did note, however, that the high court could change the rules of conduct to give lawyers a clear green light.

The…

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Could Ohio Solve the Cannabis Industry’s Cash-Only Problem?

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By Omar Sacirbey

Could Ohio wean the marijuana industry from its need to do business in cash?

Ohio’s new medical marijuana law proposes a “closed-loop” payment processing system. It would be similar to pre-paid debit or gift cards. Regulators must still decide whether to use the system.

The proposal comes at a time when legal marijuana companies have had to rely on cash-only transactions. That’s because most banks, credit unions and credit card companies are reluctant to do business with them, given the uncertain federal regulatory…

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Week in Review: Adverse Trademark Ruling, Ohio’s Cannabis Diversity Plan & MJ at the DNC

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By Omar Sacirbey and John Schroyer

Cannabis trademark issues resurface, questions arise over a plan to increase diversity in the industry, and marijuana makes inroads at the Democratic National Convention.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

Trademark Setback

A federal board has issued a major setback to marijuana businesses seeking federal protection for trademarks and patents, but there are still ways entrepreneurs can defend their brands.

As we wrote about this week, the appeals…

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Lawmaker: Ohio MMJ Program Partially Unconstitutional

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Ohio’s new medical cannabis program is at least partially unconstitutional, according to a key lawmaker, the Associated Press reported Monday.

The problematic provision legally requires that at least 15% of the state’s MMJ licenses be awarded to one of four economically disadvantaged minority groups – Hispanics, Asians, African Americans or Native Americans, the AP reported.

And although racial preference laws have long failed to stand up in court as violations of the U.S. Constitution, and lawmakers knew that it could prove to be an…

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