Starting Friday, Ohio’s 132 licensed medical cannabis dispensaries can apply for permits allowing adult-use sales per last year’s successful legalization voter initiative, 3News reports.
The applications could take up to two weeks to process, which would keep the state on track to meet regulators’ anticipated launch of adult-use sales by the end of the month.
Meanwhile, the state’s existing medical dispensaries are making plans for their expanded operations under the anticipated adult-use sales permits, the report said. AJ Caraballo, the retail director for the Cleveland Heights-based dispensary Amplify, said their company was making a special effort to maintain its regular services for registered cannabis patients.
“We want to make sure that our medical patients will be able to skip the lines and still get priority care here while we’re still excited to welcome our adult-use (marijuana) consumers.” — Caraballo, via 3News
After the initial wave of adult-use licensing, officials plan to continue working on the state’s cannabis regulatory framework so that newcomer cannabis companies can get their shot in the industry, the report said. The full adult-use cannabis industry launch is expected sometime in September.
As of May, several dozen Ohio towns and municipalities had opted for at least temporary bans on adult-use cannabis companies in their jurisdictions.
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