None of the 56 medical marijuana dispensaries planned for under the state’s new medical marijuana program are operating yet. But that’s not stopping some doctors from writing recommendations for patients who can ultimately use the drug when it does become available.
There are nearly 300 doctors who have been certified by the state to recommend medical marijuana for patients with 21 specific conditions. Connor Shore represents a group of eight doctors throughout Ohio who are already doing that.
“We are seeing patients, getting them eady so they are ready to enter the dispensaries as soon as they open in the coming months," Shore says.
The state’s medical marijuana program was supposed to be fully operational earlier this month but there was a long list of problems that kept that from happening. Earlier this month, Ohio Auditor Dave Yost says the program was "sloppy" in awarding cultivator licenses. The program also saw delays in approving dispensary licenses, and has been hit by several lawsuits.
There’s no timetable, at this point, for when dispensaries will open.
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