EASTLAKE, Ohio — After more than three months of recreational marijuana being legal in Ohio, it is now one step closer to being sold in dispensaries thanks to newly proposed rules from the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control.
The DCC has proposed rules that would allow medical marijuana dispensaries to apply for dual-use licenses to also sell recreational marijuana. A medical dispensary may apply if:
- They don't have ownership, investment interest in, or compensation arrangement with an adult-use testing laboratory or an applicant for a license to conduct adult-use laboratory testing.
- They are in compliance with all applicable tax laws within the state of Ohio.
- They are not contemporaneously employed by a regulatory agency or governmental entity within the state of Ohio that within that role may significantly influence or control entities licensed.
"This is the first step toward actually putting the recreational marijuana law into effect," Case Western Reserve University Law Professor Jonathan Entin said. "This will provide a mechanism for people to buy marijuana for personal use in a lawful way. Until these regulations or something like them go into effect, there wouldn't be a way to purchase or to obtain marijuana lawfully for personal use.”
The DCC says its goal is to have applications for dual-use licenses open by June 7.
Eastlake's Amplify Dispensary — which has brick and mortar locations in Cleveland Heights, Bedford, and Columbus — says it will be ready to apply for the dual-use license for all three of its stores as soon as applications open.
"We're excited that the application for the dual-use is going to be a relatively simple process," Amplify's Retail Director A.J. Caraballo told 3News. "As soon as the state gives us the green light, we will be ready to go. It's going to be a large increase in the number of customers we'll be serving overnight. We anticipate at least double the amount of folks coming through the dispensary on a daily basis."
The DCC has submitted the proposal to Gov. Mike DeWine's Common Sense Initiative for review. They hope to award the dual-use licenses by Sept. 7.