Marijuana in Ohio: Take a look at the Division of Cannabis Control's newly proposed rules
Ohio's Recreational Marijuana Rollout Faces Legislative Standstill as State Agencies Push Ahead.
More than five months have gone by since recreational marijuana became legal to use in Ohio, but the General Assembly has still not come to an agreement on House Bill 86. While things may be at a standstill at the State House, the Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) continues to stick to the timeline outlined in the statute voters approved in November.
The current draft rules have the goal of issuing applications to current medical marijuana licensees by June 7 as required by the initiated statute approved by voters. The Division is looking to begin awarding provisional licenses for non-medical cannabis facilities by September 7.
Sales of non-medical cannabis cannot happen until licenses are issued and facilities are certified. A spokesperson for the Department of Commerce told ABC 6 the DeWine Administration has endorsed a legislative proposal to allow medical marijuana dispensaries to sell non-medical cannabis as soon as the legislation can become effective.
The proposed rules address who can enter a dispensary that sells recreational marijuana, ensuring only those who are 21 and older can access them, excluding medical marijuana patients.
The rules also address security, product quality and waste disposal for businesses selling adult-use cannabis. Those businesses are also prohibited from operating from a list of prohibited facilities which include schools, churches, public libraries, public playgrounds or public parks.
While the rules proposed by the DCC are primarily directed toward dispensaries and businesses that would eventually be able to sell adult-use marijuana, the growing, testing and processing facilities where cannabis products are created, are also preparing for a potential rise in product demand.
"It’s an exciting time," BeneLeaves Vice President Emilie Ramach said. "A lot of it is speculative, but we could see sales double and triple."
For the team at BeneLeaves, a possible increase in sales means making sure they keep a smooth manufacturing process and have enough space to keep up.
"Where we are sitting, we are in a good spot and have plenty of room to grow in the facility," Ramach said. "But we are looking at the footprint we do have to see how we can use the space."
Right now, logistics is the biggest challenge Ramach said she is anticipating.
"You have a lot of dispensaries that are opening up in a lot of these rural areas which is needed, we need them all over Ohio," Ramach said. "We do our own deliveries, so it will be a really interesting to watch is to see how that particular part of the business grows with consumer demand."
