They’re here! Ohio Has Awarded Their First Licenses to Medical Marijuana Dispensaries.

After much anticipation, Ohio has awarded the first licenses to medical marijuana dispensaries across the state of Ohio.

These awards grant the right for dispensaries to sell edibles, topical, oils, and concentrates along with cannabis vape products. They do not allow for the sale of the marijuana flower, since smoking is banned across the state.

According to Cleveland.com, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy received 376 applications to sell medical marijuana in November and were authorized to issue 60 provisional licenses although only 56 were handed out.

These provisional licenses grant recipients 6 months to comply with all state requirements.

It is also important to note that Ohio has yet to authorize licenses to any cannabis processing businesses. This means that while only the cultivation and dispensary licenses have been granted, none of the companies needed to produce the cannabis products for sale have been awarded.

Also, the lab needed to ensure the safety of these product have not been awarded licenses as of yet.

Ohio’s medical marijuana program is supposed to be “fully operational” by Sept. 8, but state officials acknowledged in April that won’t be the case. Twenty-five companies have been awarded cultivation licenses, but none have been given the OK to begin growing plants, according to the article.

Patients with 21 qualifying medical conditions will be eligible to buy the drug. Should the demand for MMJ out way Ohio’s ability to produce, more licenses may be given after Sept. 8th.

For a complete list of those awarded provision licenses thus far go here.

Three districts in the state will not have dispensaries this first go around, with the majority of licenses awarded in southwest Ohio near both Kentucky and Indiana boarders.