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State is Increasing the Number of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

Medical marijuana dispensary in Columbus
Jo Ingles
/
Statehouse News Bureau
Ohio is opening up more licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries like this one in Columbus, which will bring the number of dispensaries allowed in the state to 130.

The state will be more than doubling the number of medical marijuana dispensaries soon. And it's changing the process for granting licenses for dispensaries, too.

Business can apply for 73 new dispensary licenses. And that would bring the total allowed to 130 statewide. Cameron McNamee of the Ohio Board of Pharmacy says the new licenses will be awarded through a lottery process after dispensaries meet the requirements instead of scoring them individually.

“And we feel like that will result in a fairer, more streamlined, award process,” she said.

McNamee hopes it will also cut down in the number of lawsuits over the process, too. In 2018, the board awarded 57 dispensary licenses. Five of those still haven’t opened. There are almost 93,000 licensed medical marijuana patients in Ohio right now. Many of them have complained about high prices or long commutes to dispensaries. It’s hoped these changes will help alleviate some of those problems.
Copyright 2021 The Statehouse News Bureau. To see more, visit The Statehouse News Bureau.

Jo Ingles
Jo Ingles is a professional journalist who covers politics and Ohio government for the Ohio Public Radio and Television for the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau. She reports on issues of importance to Ohioans including education, legislation, politics, and life and death issues such as capital punishment.