First Medicinal Marijuana Processor To Open in Ohio

Friday, Ohio’s state Commerce Department awarded the first medicinal marijuana processor its certificate of operation. This processor will allow medicinal marijuana to be processed, refined, and distilled into cannabis-infused products. These products include:

oil, wax, ointment, salve, tincture, capsule, suppository, dermal patch, cartridge or other product containing medical cannabis concentrate, or usable cannabis that has been processed so that the dried leaves and flowers are integrated into other material.

The move is a major step forward for advocates who wish to see the ubiquitous use of cannabis adopted in the Buckeye State.

The process of earning this certificate from the state of Ohio is very competitive. Per the rules outlined the Ohio Medicinal Marijuana control program. “The Department received 104 processor applications. From these, the Department is authorized to award up to 40 provisional licenses.” In addition, the cost of operations is shockingly high. It costs $10,000 to apply for the initial certificate. If approved, the actual certificate costs an additional $90,000. Furthermore, to continue operations at a plant, there is an annual fee of $100,000. While these fees may seem high, relative to other business fees, one of the most appealing arguments to marijuana legalization was the idea that the drug would be taxed heavily and serve as a “cash cow” for state budgets, especially those running deficits. Despite this, states like California, whose legal marijuana dispensaries have only been one a year, have already formed a strong “marijuana lobby” that is pushing for lowers rates.

The plant, Grow Ohio, is located Muskingum County and the processing will take place in their “60,000-square-foot (5,574-sq.-meter) facility outside Zanesville.”

In addition to this announcement, the Board also released a series of additional stats, outlining the current status of Medicinal Marijuana in Ohio. Per the website, the state currently has 29 marijuana cultivators with provisional licenses. Of these, 16 have received Certificates of Operation. For dispensaries, 56 have been issues provisional licenses, with 9 receiving certificates of operation. As far as how many patients are currently using the drug;

22,276 have received Recommendations for Marijuana,
19,395 are Registered patients,
1,621 have confirmed Veteran Status,
637 claim an Indigent Status,
107 have a Terminal Diagnosis of some form.

As of March 7th, 5,465 separate patients have purchased medicinal marijuana. From 1/16/2019 to 3/3/2019, these, almost, 5,500 patients have purchased $1,520,381 worth of marijuana. This comes out to roughly 201 points marijuana.

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Andrew Shirley is a reporter at Battleground State News and The Ohio Star. Send tips to [email protected].
Photo “Cannabis Grower” by My 420 Tours.