Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Moves Forward

(Winter 2016) Ohio Governor John Kasich signed medical marijuana into law in June, with the measure providing for two years to implement the program. The state’s Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee was formed in September and now has the task of designing a plan for how the drug will be grown, packaged, distributed and regulated. The 14-member group is comprised of doctors and pharmacists, as well as a nurse, a caregiver, a patient advocate, a farmer, county sheriff, an employer, the political director for a labor union and a college professor. The Drug-Free Action Alliance, which spoke out against medicinal cannabis, also holds a seat on the panel to advocate on behalf of mental health and drug addiction professionals.

As of November, the group had decided that the Buckeye State will allow a dozen large growers and six smaller ones. These operations must be prepared to produce cannabis within nine months of receiving their licenses. Approved growers must show that they have developed security and quality assurance plans, secured necessary funding, and will test their plants via a certified lab prior to packing and distribution. For the 12 major cultivators, the licensing fee will be $180,000 each in addition to a $20,000 application fee. Second-tier growers are subject to an $18,000 license cost plus $2,000 to apply. The committee’s proposed mandates for cultivators were made public this fall but still must be approved by the Common Sense Initiative and the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review.

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