Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Lake, Geauga and Portage counties will have two medical marijuana dispensaries among them, according to updated maps released Friday by the Ohio Pharmacy Board.
That's one more than the counties were originally supposed to get under the Pharmacy Board's initial proposal in July. Northeastern Ohio will still have 18 medical marijuana dispensaries, according to maps released.
Meantime, Ashtabula, Trumbull and Mahoning counties - which were proposed to have three dispensaries - will now have two.
The changes came after the Pharmacy Board considered public feedback on its plan, said board spokesman Cameron McNamee. The Northeast Ohio changes were the only ones to the dispensary plan, which allows for 60 stores across the state.
Urban areas such as Cuyahoga and Franklin counties will each have five dispensaries, which will leave others with none.
Sixty dispensaries will not be enough, said Chris Lindsey, of the Marijuana Policy Project, an organization that was working toward a constitutional amendment for medical cannabis before the proposal was legalized in the Ohio legislature. The organization now watches the state as it endeavors to start the program.
"It is just simply not enough so you're going to have to make hard decisions about who doesn't have local access," he said. "It's not what voters would necessarily support."
The Pharmacy Board's McNamee said the number and locations of dispensaries will adjust over time, as the state sees who is seeking medical marijuana and where they're from.
People who suffer from 21 conditions, ranging from cancer to Tourette's syndrome could qualify for cannabis.
In coming months, the state will accept applications from people who want to open dispensaries throughout the state, McNamee said.
The law requires cannabis to be available Sept. 8, 2018, although some question whether Ohio will be able to complete its regulatory responsibilities and address possible lawsuits by then.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Ohio changes medical marijuana dispensary distribution: Lake, Geauga and Portage counties | cleveland.com
Author: Laura Hancock
Contact: Cleveland.com Contact Us
Photo Credit: MGN
Website: Cleveland OH Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - cleveland.com
That's one more than the counties were originally supposed to get under the Pharmacy Board's initial proposal in July. Northeastern Ohio will still have 18 medical marijuana dispensaries, according to maps released.
Meantime, Ashtabula, Trumbull and Mahoning counties - which were proposed to have three dispensaries - will now have two.
The changes came after the Pharmacy Board considered public feedback on its plan, said board spokesman Cameron McNamee. The Northeast Ohio changes were the only ones to the dispensary plan, which allows for 60 stores across the state.
Urban areas such as Cuyahoga and Franklin counties will each have five dispensaries, which will leave others with none.
Sixty dispensaries will not be enough, said Chris Lindsey, of the Marijuana Policy Project, an organization that was working toward a constitutional amendment for medical cannabis before the proposal was legalized in the Ohio legislature. The organization now watches the state as it endeavors to start the program.
"It is just simply not enough so you're going to have to make hard decisions about who doesn't have local access," he said. "It's not what voters would necessarily support."
The Pharmacy Board's McNamee said the number and locations of dispensaries will adjust over time, as the state sees who is seeking medical marijuana and where they're from.
People who suffer from 21 conditions, ranging from cancer to Tourette's syndrome could qualify for cannabis.
In coming months, the state will accept applications from people who want to open dispensaries throughout the state, McNamee said.
The law requires cannabis to be available Sept. 8, 2018, although some question whether Ohio will be able to complete its regulatory responsibilities and address possible lawsuits by then.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Ohio changes medical marijuana dispensary distribution: Lake, Geauga and Portage counties | cleveland.com
Author: Laura Hancock
Contact: Cleveland.com Contact Us
Photo Credit: MGN
Website: Cleveland OH Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - cleveland.com