Ohio's new medical marijuana law is scheduled to go into effect on Sept. 8, but that doesn't mean medical marijuana will be available on that exact date.
Of the 25 cultivators (growers) selected by the Ohio Department of Commerce, only one (in the Cincinnati area) has been inspected, with two more set for later this month. None of the cultivators have been officially certified.
With the marijuana growing process alone taking roughly three to five months (not including drying, curing, and packaging the products), some areas may not have access to the medical drugs until 2019.
"Is it possible that you could have a dispensary open on Sept. 8 if the licenses are awarded today? Yes," attorney Kevin Murphy said. "Is it likely that you’ll have any? Maybe you’ll get a few. But you will absolutely not have 60 dispensaries open on Sept. 8 as the state planned, and I think the state’s aware of this and they’re going to be willing to grant extensions, as long as they know that these license holders are moving forward with their plans."
The state Board of Pharmacy awarded provisional licenses to 56 planned marijuana dispensaries (several of which are in Northeast Ohio) on Monday, and also released the names of 89 doctors who can legally prescribe the drug.
The state says "multiple factors" have played a role in the certification and inspection delays, but officials are "ready to assist licensees in every way appropriate in their efforts to meet patient demand."