November is shaping up to be a busy month for the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (OMMCP).
On Tuesday, the state announced it will start dispensing cultivation licenses in November and will begin accepting applications for Ohio’s 60 medical marijuana dispensaries on Nov. 3.
The dispensary application process is open to candidates through Nov. 17. On track to reach full implementation of its medical marijuana program by September 2018, Ohio’s dispensary application instruction form is now available online.
Distributed evenly throughout Ohio, the 60 dispensaries licenses will be allocated throughout four regions based on several variables.
A costly venture, state law requires potential dispensary owners pay a nonrefundable $5,000 application fee, a $70,000 certificate of operation fee, and have $250,000 in reserve to cover their first year of operational expenses.
And protecting the intellectual property rights of Ohio’s cannabis entrepreneurs, the state has also provided a “Trade Secret Form” for potential applicants: “Applicant understands that materials consisting of trade secrets must be clearly marked, specifying the pages of the application question, attachment name related to the material that is to be restricted and justifying the trade secret designation for each item.”
Somewhat ambiguous, the Ohio Public Records Act doesn’t identify what can be labeled a “trade secret,” but is thought to be specifically related to unique marijuana products.
The dispensary application form is an intimidating 40-page behemoth. As such, the state has arranged for two instructional online Q&A sessions from September through October to help would-be applicants navigate the OMMCP model dispensary application process.
For the creation of Ohio’s four dispensary districts, the agency examined existing rules and regulations established in other state programs, Ohio’s potential patient population, and access to Ohio’s major highways and byways. After much contemplation, Ohio’s Northwest region was awarded 10 dispensaries; the Northeast region received 18 dispensaries; the Southeast received 17 dispensaries, and the Southwest received 15 dispensaries.
Northwest Dispensaries
Northeast Dispensaries
Southeast Dispensaries
Southwest Dispensaries
While the passage of HB 523 legalized the use of medicinal marijuana in Ohio, it still prohibits any smoking or the home-cultivation of medicinal cannabis.
credit:marijuana.com