Ohio has licensed 56 locations that can sell medical marijuana once it becomes legal this fall, including five in Franklin County.
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy on Monday awarded those provisional dispensary licenses that give the stores six months to meet state operation requirements. A total of 376 applications were received.
Three geographic areas - two in Northeast Ohio and one in Southwest Ohio - won't get a dispensary due to lack of viable applications. But board liaison Ali Simon says that doesn't mean those areas won't have dispensaries someday.
"That is something we can look at after the September 8 deadline," Simon says. "We do have the authority to review if there needs to be more licenses allocated on a graphic basis."
The locations in Central Ohio include:
- 127 OH, LLC, 1361 Georgesville Road, Columbus
- BCCO, LLC, 3560 Dolson Court, NW, Carroll
- Cannamed Therapeutics LLC, 656 Grandview Ave, Grandview Heights
- Greenleaf Apothecaries, LLC, 111 Vine St., Columbus
- Harvest of Ohio, LLC, 2950 N High St., Columbus
- Ohio Grown Therapies, LLC, 1246 N. 21st St., Newark,
- Verdant Creations, LLC on Cassidy Avenue, the exact address unknown, Columbus
- Verdant Creations, LLC, 1551 W. Church St., Newark
- WGB, LLC, 1150 N 21st St, Newark
The executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association of Ohio, Thomas Rosenberger, says the board has ended months of speculation about where patients will be able to get medical marijuana.
Three of 31 geographic districts won't have dispensaries. They either received no applications or had no qualifying applicant.
Ohio's 2016 medical marijuana law says the program must begin September 8, although many lawmakers have expressed doubt the state will meet that deadline.
Also Monday, the board launched a toll-free medical marijuana help-line for patients, caregivers and health professionals. The number is 833-464-6627.