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Law OHIO MMJ
- Thread starter Fat Freddy
- Start date
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- Tags
- ohio mmj laws
BD9
Leaf Dawg
Hey @Fat Freddy,
First I want to say I hope you're feeling okay. I wish I could offer you something more healing or inspiring than that. I sincerely wish you the best.
Here's a list of Ohio politicians and where they stand on cannabis. If your representative is on this list and you feel up to it maybe you could write, call or email and tell them your story.
I was really surprised by Sherrod Brown's grade, a D.
http://norml.org/congressional-scorecard/ohio
Sherrod Brown (D)
OHIO
NORML Grade: D
Votes
?
Daines/Merkley Amendment (2016) N/A
Mikulski Amendment (2016) N/A
Merkley Amendment (2016) N/A
Daines/Merkley Amendment (2015) N/A
Mikulski Amendment (2015) N/A
Merkley Amendment (2015) N/A
Comments
"While it is important to consider the potential medical benefits of marijuana, particularly for terminally ill patients whose quality of life may hinge on effective pain management, there are risks associated with making marijuana legally available. "The evidence is in that it works for a number of patients" to help manage their illnesses, the Ohio Democrat said. 7/9/2015
Reps
First I want to say I hope you're feeling okay. I wish I could offer you something more healing or inspiring than that. I sincerely wish you the best.
Here's a list of Ohio politicians and where they stand on cannabis. If your representative is on this list and you feel up to it maybe you could write, call or email and tell them your story.
I was really surprised by Sherrod Brown's grade, a D.
http://norml.org/congressional-scorecard/ohio
Sherrod Brown (D)
OHIO
NORML Grade: D
Votes
?
Daines/Merkley Amendment (2016) N/A
Mikulski Amendment (2016) N/A
Merkley Amendment (2016) N/A
Daines/Merkley Amendment (2015) N/A
Mikulski Amendment (2015) N/A
Merkley Amendment (2015) N/A
Comments
"While it is important to consider the potential medical benefits of marijuana, particularly for terminally ill patients whose quality of life may hinge on effective pain management, there are risks associated with making marijuana legally available. "The evidence is in that it works for a number of patients" to help manage their illnesses, the Ohio Democrat said. 7/9/2015
- Rob Portman (R)
OHIO
NORML Grade: F
Votes
?
Daines/Merkley Amendment (2016) N/A
Mikulski Amendment (2016) N/A
Merkley Amendment (2016) N/A
Daines/Merkley Amendment (2015) N/A
Mikulski Amendment (2015) N/A
Merkley Amendment (2015) N/A
Comments
Republican Senator Rob Portman admits to smoking marijuana when he was younger. 5/6/2013 (Link)
Reps
- Joyce Beatty (D)
OHIO
NORML Grade: B
Votes
?
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2016) Yes
McClintock/Polis Amendment (2015) No
Rohrabacher/Farr Amendment (2015) Yes
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2015) Yes
No sponsorships or comments - Marcia Fudge (D)
OHIO
NORML Grade: B
Votes
?
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2016) Yes
McClintock/Polis Amendment (2015) Yes
Rohrabacher/Farr Amendment (2015) Yes
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2015) Yes
No sponsorships or comments - David Joyce (R)
OHIO
NORML Grade: B
Votes
?
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2016) Yes
McClintock/Polis Amendment (2015) Yes
Rohrabacher/Farr Amendment (2015) Yes
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2015) No
No sponsorships or comments - Marcy Kaptur (D)
OHIO
NORML Grade: B
Votes
?
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2016) Yes
McClintock/Polis Amendment (2015) Yes
Rohrabacher/Farr Amendment (2015) Yes
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2015) Yes
No sponsorships or comments - Tim Ryan (D)
OHIO
NORML Grade: B
Votes
?
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2016) Yes
McClintock/Polis Amendment (2015) Yes
Rohrabacher/Farr Amendment (2015) Yes
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2015) Yes
Cosponsor
*H.R. 525 Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015 - Steve Stivers (R)
OHIO
NORML Grade: B-
Votes
?
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2016) Yes
McClintock/Polis Amendment (2015) No
Rohrabacher/Farr Amendment (2015) No
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2015) Yes
Cosponsor
*H.R. 525 Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015 - Bill Johnson (R)
OHIO
NORML Grade: D
Votes
?
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2016) No
McClintock/Polis Amendment (2015) No
Rohrabacher/Farr Amendment (2015) No
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2015) No
No sponsorships or comments - Jim Jordan (R)
OHIO
NORML Grade: D
Votes
?
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2016) No
McClintock/Polis Amendment (2015) No
Rohrabacher/Farr Amendment (2015) No
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2015) No
No sponsorships or comments - Bob Latta (R)
OHIO
NORML Grade: D
Votes
?
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2016) No
McClintock/Polis Amendment (2015) No
Rohrabacher/Farr Amendment (2015) No
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2015) No
No sponsorships or comments - Jim Renacci (R)
OHIO
NORML Grade: D
Votes
?
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2016) No
McClintock/Polis Amendment (2015) No
Rohrabacher/Farr Amendment (2015) No
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2015) No
No sponsorships or comments - Pat Tiberi (R)
OHIO
NORML Grade: D
Votes
?
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2016) No
McClintock/Polis Amendment (2015) No
Rohrabacher/Farr Amendment (2015) No
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2015) No
No sponsorships or comments - Mike Turner (R)
OHIO
NORML Grade: D
Votes
?
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2016) No
McClintock/Polis Amendment (2015) No
Rohrabacher/Farr Amendment (2015) No
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2015) No
No sponsorships or comments - Brad Wenstrup (R)
OHIO
NORML Grade: D
Votes
?
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2016) No
McClintock/Polis Amendment (2015) No
Rohrabacher/Farr Amendment (2015) No
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2015) No
No sponsorships or comments - Steve Chabot (R)
OHIO
NORML Grade: F
Votes
?
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2016) No
McClintock/Polis Amendment (2015) No
Rohrabacher/Farr Amendment (2015) No
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2015) No
Comments
"He’s against legalizing pot for both recreational and medical use. He feels where it is legal medicinally, it broadens access for other users." 6/18/2015 (Link)
- Bob Gibbs (R)
OHIO
NORML Grade: F
Votes
?
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2016) No
McClintock/Polis Amendment (2015) No
Rohrabacher/Farr Amendment (2015) No
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2015) No
Comments
"Legalizing marijuana will have a detrimental effect to public safety and society," 3/9/2016 (Link)
- Warren Davidson (R)
OHIO
NORML Grade:
Votes
?
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2016) N/A
McClintock/Polis Amendment (2015) N/A
Rohrabacher/Farr Amendment (2015) N/A
Veterans Equal Access Amendment (2015) N/A
No sponsorships or comments
Fat Freddy
Well-Known Member
CarolKing
Always in search of the perfect vaporizer
Ohio rules for medical pot growers bring access questions
POSTED 10:41 AM, APRIL 23, 2017, BY ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBUS, Ohio— Ohio has built it, but will they come?
Prospective medical marijuana cultivators now know what Ohio rules for getting growers’ licenses looks like. They were finalized last Monday and application forms were released Friday.
Ohio’s medical marijuana law allows people with 21 medical conditions, including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, HIV/AIDS and epilepsy, to purchase and use marijuana after getting a doctor’s recommendation. The law doesn’t allow smoking.
The issue to watch is whether certain regulations will curb the program’s ability to get an adequate supply of medical cannabis to patients. Regulators say the rules balance access with public safety and can be revisited later.
“The most genuine answer that anyone can give about Ohio’s program is that this has never been done before, so we don’t know if it will work, or serve patients,” said Dr. Jahan Marcu, chief science officer at Americans for Safe Access. “So patients will just have to wait and see.”
A look at several key issues that have arisen on the cultivation front:
LICENSE LIMITATIONS
Ohio has set some of the highest licensing fees in the country. Larger growers must pay a $20,000 application fee and a $180,000 license fee. Smaller grow operations must pay $2,000 to apply and an $18,000 license fee. Annual renewal fees are equally hefty.
Up to 24 licenses — 12 for large growers, 12 for small growers — will be made available, with some growers and patient advocates raising concerns that the total 336,000 square feet available won’t be enough to produce an adequate crop. Estimates of the Ohio patient population vary widely, from 185,000 to 325,000 people.
Missy Craddock, of the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program, recently told a state advisory board the high financial bar will assure participating growers think seriously about the financial commitment before entering the field. Regulators add industry experts and other states were consulted.
Jimmy Gould, a key funder of Ohio’s failed 2015 medical marijuana ballot measure, said he’s confident the licenses will allow for an ample cannabis crop.
“You don’t want so many cultivators and so few patients that everyone goes out of business, which happened in Illinois and Arizona,” he said.
FINDING FINANCIAL FOOTING
Besides the licensing issue, potential growers must find banks and insurers willing to service their businesses.
It’s been a challenge elsewhere, as national companies have steered clear of dealing with a business product that the federal government still considers illegal.
Kelly Mottola, owner of Hydro Innovations in Dublin, is preparing to apply for a small grower license. She said the Ohio Department of Insurance has told her the type of insurance policy that’s required doesn’t exist. Ohio Department of Commerce spokeswoman Kerry Francis said rule language was changed to address this concern.
Gould’s Green Light Acquisitions LLC is working to develop a “captive insurance” product that other growers could eventual join, Gould said. It’s not clear the company’s offering can be ready in time to meet other growers’ application deadlines.
Peter Murphy, a Pennsylvania-based lawyer who specializes in regulated substances law, said the closed-loop payment system being pioneered in Ohio could resolve most of the banking issues faced in other states.
MEETING THE TESTING REQUIREMENT
Ohio’s medical marijuana law requires mandatory marijuana testing to be done by an in-state, public university. The problem is not one has said for sure yet if it will participate.
The largest, Ohio State University, had not made a decision as of last week on whether it would conduct the testing. Others, including Kent State University and the University of Cincinnati, say they have no plans to become testers.
Marcu said Ohio is following in the footsteps of other states that have insisted on creating their medical marijuana programs from scratch, and it’s usually led to delays. He cited Maryland, New Jersey, New York and the District of Columbia as examples.
“This could be a really good program for patients, or it could be just another group of regulators trying to reinvent the wheel,” he said.
He said public universities risk losing their federal drug-testing certifications if they delve into a substance — marijuana — that is deemed illegal under federal law.
POSTED 10:41 AM, APRIL 23, 2017, BY ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBUS, Ohio— Ohio has built it, but will they come?
Prospective medical marijuana cultivators now know what Ohio rules for getting growers’ licenses looks like. They were finalized last Monday and application forms were released Friday.
Ohio’s medical marijuana law allows people with 21 medical conditions, including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, HIV/AIDS and epilepsy, to purchase and use marijuana after getting a doctor’s recommendation. The law doesn’t allow smoking.
The issue to watch is whether certain regulations will curb the program’s ability to get an adequate supply of medical cannabis to patients. Regulators say the rules balance access with public safety and can be revisited later.
“The most genuine answer that anyone can give about Ohio’s program is that this has never been done before, so we don’t know if it will work, or serve patients,” said Dr. Jahan Marcu, chief science officer at Americans for Safe Access. “So patients will just have to wait and see.”
A look at several key issues that have arisen on the cultivation front:
LICENSE LIMITATIONS
Ohio has set some of the highest licensing fees in the country. Larger growers must pay a $20,000 application fee and a $180,000 license fee. Smaller grow operations must pay $2,000 to apply and an $18,000 license fee. Annual renewal fees are equally hefty.
Up to 24 licenses — 12 for large growers, 12 for small growers — will be made available, with some growers and patient advocates raising concerns that the total 336,000 square feet available won’t be enough to produce an adequate crop. Estimates of the Ohio patient population vary widely, from 185,000 to 325,000 people.
Missy Craddock, of the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program, recently told a state advisory board the high financial bar will assure participating growers think seriously about the financial commitment before entering the field. Regulators add industry experts and other states were consulted.
Jimmy Gould, a key funder of Ohio’s failed 2015 medical marijuana ballot measure, said he’s confident the licenses will allow for an ample cannabis crop.
“You don’t want so many cultivators and so few patients that everyone goes out of business, which happened in Illinois and Arizona,” he said.
FINDING FINANCIAL FOOTING
Besides the licensing issue, potential growers must find banks and insurers willing to service their businesses.
It’s been a challenge elsewhere, as national companies have steered clear of dealing with a business product that the federal government still considers illegal.
Kelly Mottola, owner of Hydro Innovations in Dublin, is preparing to apply for a small grower license. She said the Ohio Department of Insurance has told her the type of insurance policy that’s required doesn’t exist. Ohio Department of Commerce spokeswoman Kerry Francis said rule language was changed to address this concern.
Gould’s Green Light Acquisitions LLC is working to develop a “captive insurance” product that other growers could eventual join, Gould said. It’s not clear the company’s offering can be ready in time to meet other growers’ application deadlines.
Peter Murphy, a Pennsylvania-based lawyer who specializes in regulated substances law, said the closed-loop payment system being pioneered in Ohio could resolve most of the banking issues faced in other states.
MEETING THE TESTING REQUIREMENT
Ohio’s medical marijuana law requires mandatory marijuana testing to be done by an in-state, public university. The problem is not one has said for sure yet if it will participate.
The largest, Ohio State University, had not made a decision as of last week on whether it would conduct the testing. Others, including Kent State University and the University of Cincinnati, say they have no plans to become testers.
Marcu said Ohio is following in the footsteps of other states that have insisted on creating their medical marijuana programs from scratch, and it’s usually led to delays. He cited Maryland, New Jersey, New York and the District of Columbia as examples.
“This could be a really good program for patients, or it could be just another group of regulators trying to reinvent the wheel,” he said.
He said public universities risk losing their federal drug-testing certifications if they delve into a substance — marijuana — that is deemed illegal under federal law.
Last edited by a moderator:
Baron23
Well-Known Member
Well, if they consulted other states, and those states included Maryland, then they certainly got the recipe for failure. This requirement, in particular, is just like Maryland...I just didn't think there could possibly be a group of individuals in another state that would be this stupid. Maryland also required that its program be managed and administered by one of the large in-state teaching hospital systems (read Johns Hopkins or U of M) but nobody bother to ask either of them if they would be will to participate BEFORE putting this stupidity into the law.
Large institutions like this ALL receive Federal grant money which they will NOT jeopardize in order to participate in a state level MMJ program.
And we PAY these people in our governments. Wow....just stunningly idiotic.
CarolKing
Always in search of the perfect vaporizer
Instead of trying to recreate the wheel they need to see what works in another states where they have been successful with medical cannabis. What's most important is what works well for the patient. Maybe they should work together with folks such as NORMAL. They consider them as the enemy which is a major stumbling block for most states.
Baron23
Well-Known Member
Congressman Claims to Back State Marijuana Laws But Votes Against Amendments
Another Republican congressman is speaking out for the medical benefits of marijuana and endorsing states’ rights to set their own cannabis laws.
Just one problem: He voted against every marijuana law reform amendment that has come to the floor of the U.S. House during the time he has served in Congress.
“There is a good, strong argument for medical marijuana. There are people suffering that it could help,” Congressman Bob Gibbs (R-OH) told The Independent, a local news outlet in his district. He went on to describe cannabis as “a state issue,” according to reporter Amy Knapp.
Gibbs, who was first elected in 2010, voted three times against amendments to prevent the U.S. Department of Justice from interfering with state medical marijuana laws.
He also voted three times against amendments to allow military veterans in states where medical cannabis is legal to obtain recommendations from Department of Veterans Affairs doctors.
Gibbs even opposed an amendment to prevent federal interference with state laws that allow children suffering from severe epilepsy to access non-psychoactive CBD medical cannabis preparations.
He voted against an amendment to protect all state marijuana laws from Justice Department intervention.
Gibbs voted against measures to allow state industrial hemp programs to move forward without federal harassment.
And while he voted against an amendment to allow state-legal marijuana business to access banks, on the same day he supported a measure to block Obama administration guidance aimed at encouraging financial services providers to work with the cannabis industry.
Gibbs’s state of Ohio enacted a medical cannabis law last year, and there haven’t been any House floor votes on marijuana since then. It remains to be seen if the fact that his constituents will now be directly impacted by potential federal interference with state cannabis laws will change how he votes on related amendments in the future.
In the interview with The Independent, Gibbs said that he sees the medical benefits of marijuana but asked, “If it is truly medicinal, why can it not be dispensed by a pharmacist?”
But to date, the congressman hasn’t supported any legislation to change marijuana’s status under federal law to allow for its formal prescription.
He also suggested that while legal medical cannabis could potentially generate revenue, he believes the costs could outweigh the benefits, seeming to suggest that it might lead to increased use of other drugs.
“The costs are huge,” he told the local new outlet. “Drug problems are real. So many people are addicted to meth, heroin. It’s a big, huge cost to society.”
A Quinnipiac University poll found last year that Ohio voters support medical cannabis by a margin of 90 percent in favor to 9 percent against. They support full marijuana legalization, 52 percent to 45 percent, the survey found.
Gibbs’s communications director and legislative director did not respond to MassRoots’s request for comment on this story.
If you live in Gibbs district, you may consider who else you are going to vote for in the next election.
Another Republican congressman is speaking out for the medical benefits of marijuana and endorsing states’ rights to set their own cannabis laws.
Just one problem: He voted against every marijuana law reform amendment that has come to the floor of the U.S. House during the time he has served in Congress.
“There is a good, strong argument for medical marijuana. There are people suffering that it could help,” Congressman Bob Gibbs (R-OH) told The Independent, a local news outlet in his district. He went on to describe cannabis as “a state issue,” according to reporter Amy Knapp.
Gibbs, who was first elected in 2010, voted three times against amendments to prevent the U.S. Department of Justice from interfering with state medical marijuana laws.
He also voted three times against amendments to allow military veterans in states where medical cannabis is legal to obtain recommendations from Department of Veterans Affairs doctors.
Gibbs even opposed an amendment to prevent federal interference with state laws that allow children suffering from severe epilepsy to access non-psychoactive CBD medical cannabis preparations.
He voted against an amendment to protect all state marijuana laws from Justice Department intervention.
Gibbs voted against measures to allow state industrial hemp programs to move forward without federal harassment.
And while he voted against an amendment to allow state-legal marijuana business to access banks, on the same day he supported a measure to block Obama administration guidance aimed at encouraging financial services providers to work with the cannabis industry.
Gibbs’s state of Ohio enacted a medical cannabis law last year, and there haven’t been any House floor votes on marijuana since then. It remains to be seen if the fact that his constituents will now be directly impacted by potential federal interference with state cannabis laws will change how he votes on related amendments in the future.
In the interview with The Independent, Gibbs said that he sees the medical benefits of marijuana but asked, “If it is truly medicinal, why can it not be dispensed by a pharmacist?”
But to date, the congressman hasn’t supported any legislation to change marijuana’s status under federal law to allow for its formal prescription.
He also suggested that while legal medical cannabis could potentially generate revenue, he believes the costs could outweigh the benefits, seeming to suggest that it might lead to increased use of other drugs.
“The costs are huge,” he told the local new outlet. “Drug problems are real. So many people are addicted to meth, heroin. It’s a big, huge cost to society.”
A Quinnipiac University poll found last year that Ohio voters support medical cannabis by a margin of 90 percent in favor to 9 percent against. They support full marijuana legalization, 52 percent to 45 percent, the survey found.
Gibbs’s communications director and legislative director did not respond to MassRoots’s request for comment on this story.
If you live in Gibbs district, you may consider who else you are going to vote for in the next election.
Wow. Talk about a double talking politician....
Baron23
Well-Known Member
185 Apply for Medical Marijuana Cultivator Licenses in Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio has received more than 180 applications for 24 licenses to grow marijuana under the state’s new medical marijuana program.
Republican Gov. John Kasich signed a law more than a year ago allowing medical marijuana to be prescribed under certain conditions to patients suffering one or more qualifying medical conditions.
The Ohio Department of Commerce on Wednesday released a list of 185 applicants for medical marijuana cultivator licenses. The application deadline for Ohio’s 24 licenses was Friday.
The state plans to license up to 12 cultivators with up to 3,000 square feet (333 square yards) of growing space and 12 cultivators with up to 25,000 square feet (2,777 square yards) of space.
Ohio will award cultivator licenses based on how the businesses plan to grow marijuana, staff and secure their facilities and comply with state regulations.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio has received more than 180 applications for 24 licenses to grow marijuana under the state’s new medical marijuana program. Republican Gov. John Kasich signed a law more than a year ago allowing medical marijuana to be prescribed under certain conditions to patients suffering one or more qualifying medical conditions. The Ohio Department of Commerce on Wednesday released a list of 185 applicants for medical marijuana cultivator licenses. The application deadline for Ohio’s 24 licenses was Friday. The state plans to license up to 12 cultivators with up to 3,000 square feet (333 square yards) of growing space and 12 cultivators with up to 25,000 square feet (2,777 square yards) of space. Ohio will award cultivator licenses based on how the businesses plan to grow marijuana, staff and secure their facilities and comply with state regulations.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio has received more than 180 applications for 24 licenses to grow marijuana under the state’s new medical marijuana program.
Republican Gov. John Kasich signed a law more than a year ago allowing medical marijuana to be prescribed under certain conditions to patients suffering one or more qualifying medical conditions.
The Ohio Department of Commerce on Wednesday released a list of 185 applicants for medical marijuana cultivator licenses. The application deadline for Ohio’s 24 licenses was Friday.
The state plans to license up to 12 cultivators with up to 3,000 square feet (333 square yards) of growing space and 12 cultivators with up to 25,000 square feet (2,777 square yards) of space.
Ohio will award cultivator licenses based on how the businesses plan to grow marijuana, staff and secure their facilities and comply with state regulations.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio has received more than 180 applications for 24 licenses to grow marijuana under the state’s new medical marijuana program. Republican Gov. John Kasich signed a law more than a year ago allowing medical marijuana to be prescribed under certain conditions to patients suffering one or more qualifying medical conditions. The Ohio Department of Commerce on Wednesday released a list of 185 applicants for medical marijuana cultivator licenses. The application deadline for Ohio’s 24 licenses was Friday. The state plans to license up to 12 cultivators with up to 3,000 square feet (333 square yards) of growing space and 12 cultivators with up to 25,000 square feet (2,777 square yards) of space. Ohio will award cultivator licenses based on how the businesses plan to grow marijuana, staff and secure their facilities and comply with state regulations.
Baron23
Well-Known Member
City councilman in favor of pot ban applies for marijuana grow license
MONROE, Ohio - A Fairfield city councilman who voted against allowing medical marijuana businesses in his home city is among the 185 applicants seeking one of the limited state-issued cultivation licenses.
Chad Oberson, a Fairfield City Council member and owner of Oberson’s Nursery and Landscapes, is one of four companies proposing a marijuana grow site in Monroe.
Oberson applied for the license in June and his plan is to build a multimillion-dollar indoor grow facility on a 32-acre piece of vacant land on Baker Drive off North Garver Road.
>> Read more trending news
It could take months before Oberson knows if he is one of the 12 businesses to receive a Level I license, which would permit up to 25,000-square-foot marijuana cultivation area. Part of his application submission, Oberson said, included blueprints for his proposed facility and business plan.
Oberson was part of a 6-0 vote in April to ban the cultivation, production and selling of medical marijuana in the city.
He said his application in Monroe was purely “a business decision.”
“Economics behind it, you have to produce,” he said. “And if you don’t produce, the state will look at removing your license.”
“I’m one of the few sole owners,” he said of his application, “and I don’t think that’s going to hurt me. That’s a big a benefit in the world of business.”
Fairfield is one of two Butler County municipalities that has banned the cultivation, production and selling of medical marijuana. The Middletown City Council has also imposed a near-identical ban on the industry.
Oberson said he was considering applying for a marijuana license when the Fairfield City Council debated the issue in mid-April, but there was not as much information available then as opposed to when he applied for the license in June.
Three other Butler County communities — Liberty, Ross and Fairfield townships — have instituted moratoriums, waiting to find out more as rules and regulations are drafted. The city of Hamilton has banned only dispensaries of medical marijuana.
Rules for medical marijuana are set to be adopted by the state on Sept. 8.
Monroe’s development director, Kevin Chesar, told the Journal-News that Oberson, or any business in any industry, would have to go through the formal zoning application process before building or renovating space. Oberson said he’s been in frequent communication with the city of Monroe.
There are also 12 Level II licenses to be issued by the state, which would permit up to a 3,000-square-foot cultivation area.
Ohio passed a law in June 2016 allowing medical marijuana to be prescribed to patients under certain conditions.
I didn't think our political class could fall to an even lower level, but this jerk off seems to be set on redefining the words "venal", "mendacity", and "hypocrisy". Just breath taking. I really fucking hate politicians.
MONROE, Ohio - A Fairfield city councilman who voted against allowing medical marijuana businesses in his home city is among the 185 applicants seeking one of the limited state-issued cultivation licenses.
Chad Oberson, a Fairfield City Council member and owner of Oberson’s Nursery and Landscapes, is one of four companies proposing a marijuana grow site in Monroe.
Oberson applied for the license in June and his plan is to build a multimillion-dollar indoor grow facility on a 32-acre piece of vacant land on Baker Drive off North Garver Road.
>> Read more trending news
It could take months before Oberson knows if he is one of the 12 businesses to receive a Level I license, which would permit up to 25,000-square-foot marijuana cultivation area. Part of his application submission, Oberson said, included blueprints for his proposed facility and business plan.
Oberson was part of a 6-0 vote in April to ban the cultivation, production and selling of medical marijuana in the city.
He said his application in Monroe was purely “a business decision.”
“Economics behind it, you have to produce,” he said. “And if you don’t produce, the state will look at removing your license.”
“I’m one of the few sole owners,” he said of his application, “and I don’t think that’s going to hurt me. That’s a big a benefit in the world of business.”
Fairfield is one of two Butler County municipalities that has banned the cultivation, production and selling of medical marijuana. The Middletown City Council has also imposed a near-identical ban on the industry.
Oberson said he was considering applying for a marijuana license when the Fairfield City Council debated the issue in mid-April, but there was not as much information available then as opposed to when he applied for the license in June.
Three other Butler County communities — Liberty, Ross and Fairfield townships — have instituted moratoriums, waiting to find out more as rules and regulations are drafted. The city of Hamilton has banned only dispensaries of medical marijuana.
Rules for medical marijuana are set to be adopted by the state on Sept. 8.
Monroe’s development director, Kevin Chesar, told the Journal-News that Oberson, or any business in any industry, would have to go through the formal zoning application process before building or renovating space. Oberson said he’s been in frequent communication with the city of Monroe.
There are also 12 Level II licenses to be issued by the state, which would permit up to a 3,000-square-foot cultivation area.
Ohio passed a law in June 2016 allowing medical marijuana to be prescribed to patients under certain conditions.
I didn't think our political class could fall to an even lower level, but this jerk off seems to be set on redefining the words "venal", "mendacity", and "hypocrisy". Just breath taking. I really fucking hate politicians.
Baron23
Well-Known Member
Ohio weighs over 100 medical marijuana rules, including banning pop-culture edibles
By The Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A proposed rule for Ohio’s medical marijuana program says edible products that resemble cartoon characters, superheroes or pop-culture figures should not be allowed.
The Columbus Dispatch reports that it’s among more than 100 proposed medical marijuana rules to be considered Monday by the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review. The oversight panel can’t approve rules but can reject them, put them on hold or allow them take effect without action.
The state has been gearing up to make medical marijuana products available by September 2018 to people with physician recommendations for 21 qualifying medical conditions.
Related stories
I actually agree that edible MMJ should not at all look like any other kind of treat or food and particularly not look like anything attractive to children. This should look more like Pharma med packaging and less like Skittles.
By The Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A proposed rule for Ohio’s medical marijuana program says edible products that resemble cartoon characters, superheroes or pop-culture figures should not be allowed.
The Columbus Dispatch reports that it’s among more than 100 proposed medical marijuana rules to be considered Monday by the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review. The oversight panel can’t approve rules but can reject them, put them on hold or allow them take effect without action.
The state has been gearing up to make medical marijuana products available by September 2018 to people with physician recommendations for 21 qualifying medical conditions.
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- How Ohio is getting ready to grow medical marijuana
- These states offer incentives to support minority cannabis business owners
I actually agree that edible MMJ should not at all look like any other kind of treat or food and particularly not look like anything attractive to children. This should look more like Pharma med packaging and less like Skittles.
Baron23
Well-Known Member
Northeast Ohio Would Get 18 Medical Marijuana Dispensaries, According to Draft Proposal
Cuyahoga County would be home to 5 of 18 medical marijuana dispensaries in Northeast Ohio, according to a proposal released by the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy.
As of the other state agencies responsible with overseeing the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program, the Board of Pharmacy determines dispensary locations.
According to a draft released last week, in addition to Cuyahoga County’s five dispensaries, Summit County would be allotted three dispensaries. Lorain, Medina, Wayne & Holmes Counties would share three dispensaries. Stark, Tuscarawas, Carroll and Columbiana Counties would split three dispensaries. Trumbull, Ashtabula and Mahoning Counties would share three dispensaries. Lake, Portage and Geauga Counties would share just one dispensary.
Many potential medical marijuana patients have expressed concerns that they’ll have to travel too far to get their medicine if they live outside Cuyahoga or Summit County.
“Having a dispensary in every county is so crucial because many of these patients are in wheelchairs and can’t drive,” said hopeful medical marijuana cultivator Susan Greenberg.
Greenberg said she believes the need for more dispensaries — especially in outlying counties — will become apparent once the sales officially kick off.
“There absolutely will be a greater need for more dispensaries,” she said.
According to the board, the draft dispensary districts were created with consideration of established rules and regulations in other state medical marijuana programs, patient populations, consultation with regulators in other states, Ohio’s population, existing compliance resources for the state board of pharmacy and access to major Ohio roadways.
The Board is accepting public comment on the draft medical marijuana dispensary districts until August 11th. They ask that comments be submitted to MMCPRules@Pharmacy.Ohio.gov.
Cuyahoga County would be home to 5 of 18 medical marijuana dispensaries in Northeast Ohio, according to a proposal released by the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy.
As of the other state agencies responsible with overseeing the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program, the Board of Pharmacy determines dispensary locations.
According to a draft released last week, in addition to Cuyahoga County’s five dispensaries, Summit County would be allotted three dispensaries. Lorain, Medina, Wayne & Holmes Counties would share three dispensaries. Stark, Tuscarawas, Carroll and Columbiana Counties would split three dispensaries. Trumbull, Ashtabula and Mahoning Counties would share three dispensaries. Lake, Portage and Geauga Counties would share just one dispensary.
Many potential medical marijuana patients have expressed concerns that they’ll have to travel too far to get their medicine if they live outside Cuyahoga or Summit County.
“Having a dispensary in every county is so crucial because many of these patients are in wheelchairs and can’t drive,” said hopeful medical marijuana cultivator Susan Greenberg.
Greenberg said she believes the need for more dispensaries — especially in outlying counties — will become apparent once the sales officially kick off.
“There absolutely will be a greater need for more dispensaries,” she said.
According to the board, the draft dispensary districts were created with consideration of established rules and regulations in other state medical marijuana programs, patient populations, consultation with regulators in other states, Ohio’s population, existing compliance resources for the state board of pharmacy and access to major Ohio roadways.
The Board is accepting public comment on the draft medical marijuana dispensary districts until August 11th. They ask that comments be submitted to MMCPRules@Pharmacy.Ohio.gov.
Baron23
Well-Known Member
Ohio MMJ program faces potential glitch: No one willing to perform required tests
Ohio's medical marijuana law requires a state college or university to test cannabis products before they're sold to patients
Published: Aug 7, 2017, 8:28 am • Updated: a day ago Comments (3)
By The Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Testing lab applications for Ohio’s medical marijuana program are due next month yet to this point no Ohio college or university has said they’re willing to participate.
Ohio’s medical marijuana law passed by the Legislature in 2016 requires a state college or university to test cannabis products for “potency, homogeneity and contamination” before they’re sold to patients who have received physician recommendations to use the drug for one of 21 qualifying medical conditions.
Related stories
An industry trade group official says the testing problem could delay the planned September 2018 availability of medical marijuana.
Well, I suppose its heartening to know that Maryland is not the only state that has certifiable idiots and cretins in our legislature. sigh. Ass-hats from MD went in this direction also initially by requiring that the state's MMJ program only be operated on my major teaching hospital chains (really U of MD and Johns Hopkins) WITHOUT EVER ONCE HAVING ASKED THEM IF THEY WILL PARTICIPATE. And of course they were not due to Federal grants and interstate commerce that they participate in puts them firmly at risk under Federal law.
And these morons in OH did the same thing 5 years later? Really? FFS
Ohio's medical marijuana law requires a state college or university to test cannabis products before they're sold to patients
Published: Aug 7, 2017, 8:28 am • Updated: a day ago Comments (3)
By The Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Testing lab applications for Ohio’s medical marijuana program are due next month yet to this point no Ohio college or university has said they’re willing to participate.
Ohio’s medical marijuana law passed by the Legislature in 2016 requires a state college or university to test cannabis products for “potency, homogeneity and contamination” before they’re sold to patients who have received physician recommendations to use the drug for one of 21 qualifying medical conditions.
Related stories
- Hawaii medical marijuana dispensaries ready to sell — there’s just one hangup
- What changes are coming to how California tests medical marijuana?
- Marijuana insiders: These are the most critical issues facing a maturing industry
- This man created a sommelier-type program for dissecting, grading marijuana
- Weed quality: Imagining a pot equivalent to Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale
An industry trade group official says the testing problem could delay the planned September 2018 availability of medical marijuana.
Well, I suppose its heartening to know that Maryland is not the only state that has certifiable idiots and cretins in our legislature. sigh. Ass-hats from MD went in this direction also initially by requiring that the state's MMJ program only be operated on my major teaching hospital chains (really U of MD and Johns Hopkins) WITHOUT EVER ONCE HAVING ASKED THEM IF THEY WILL PARTICIPATE. And of course they were not due to Federal grants and interstate commerce that they participate in puts them firmly at risk under Federal law.
And these morons in OH did the same thing 5 years later? Really? FFS
Baron23
Well-Known Member
Would-be medical marijuana tester says he has deal with Ohio college
By Jackie Borchardt, cleveland.com
jborchardt@cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A Northeast Ohio-based company announced Friday it will partner with a state school to test medical marijuana, the first indication any institution might participate in the program.
CCV Research CEO Jonathan Cachat said his company reached an agreement with a qualifying public institution of higher education to construct a lab facility on its campus.
Cachat declined in an interview to name the institution, give details of the arrangement or provide another source confirming the agreement.
A news release from CCV says the school has a "unique, entrepreneurial team that recognized the opportunity to provide education with hands on lab experience, create local jobs, and support a functioning medical cannabis system in Ohio."
Ohio law limits testing lab licenses to public institutions of higher education for one year. Thus far, none have publicly said they plan to apply for a license and several have said they do not plan to because marijuana remains an illegal substance federally and possessing it could jeopardize federal funding.
All medical marijuana and cannabis products must be tested for safety and potency before sale. That has many patients and marijuana business owners worried the program will be delayed beyond its expected September 2018 start date.
Cachat said he wanted to announce the agreement, without identifying the school, to relieve concerns about a delay.
"The widely felt concern there wouldn't be any institutions stepping up is no longer a worry," Cachat said.
Alan Mooney, who was an investor in Ohio's failed 2015 recreational marijuana measure, is backing the proposal. Mooney, a Columbus-area financial advisor, said the facility would cost an estimated $3 million to set-up, more if they're able to establish satellite labs across the state.
Mooney said the partnership involves training students to be lab experts.
"This is a plant and Ohio, as a top agriculture state, should be the No. 1 in the country benefiting from that," Mooney said.
CCV Research was incorporated in Ohio to a Sheffield Village address in March, according to state records. Cachat said the company does not run labs in other states, but he has experience in the field.
Cachat ran a college campus lab that dealt with controlled substances while in graduate school and later worked with California testing labs while developing a marijuana-growing technique.
The Department of Commerce, which will license and regulate testing labs, will begin collecting applications from colleges, universities and technical centers on Sept. 11.
State regulators aren't concerned about delays, even if schools don't sign up. They interpret the law's one-year limitation to begin from the first date any marijuana business applications are due, which would expire June 5, 2018.
Ohio's program allows people with one of 21 qualifying medical conditions to buy and use marijuana if recommended by a physician. State regulators finished drafting rules and regulations for the program last month and are reviewing applications for cultivator licenses, the first round of marijuana business licenses the state will award.
We will see.
By Jackie Borchardt, cleveland.com
jborchardt@cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A Northeast Ohio-based company announced Friday it will partner with a state school to test medical marijuana, the first indication any institution might participate in the program.
CCV Research CEO Jonathan Cachat said his company reached an agreement with a qualifying public institution of higher education to construct a lab facility on its campus.
Cachat declined in an interview to name the institution, give details of the arrangement or provide another source confirming the agreement.
A news release from CCV says the school has a "unique, entrepreneurial team that recognized the opportunity to provide education with hands on lab experience, create local jobs, and support a functioning medical cannabis system in Ohio."
Ohio law limits testing lab licenses to public institutions of higher education for one year. Thus far, none have publicly said they plan to apply for a license and several have said they do not plan to because marijuana remains an illegal substance federally and possessing it could jeopardize federal funding.
All medical marijuana and cannabis products must be tested for safety and potency before sale. That has many patients and marijuana business owners worried the program will be delayed beyond its expected September 2018 start date.
Cachat said he wanted to announce the agreement, without identifying the school, to relieve concerns about a delay.
"The widely felt concern there wouldn't be any institutions stepping up is no longer a worry," Cachat said.
Alan Mooney, who was an investor in Ohio's failed 2015 recreational marijuana measure, is backing the proposal. Mooney, a Columbus-area financial advisor, said the facility would cost an estimated $3 million to set-up, more if they're able to establish satellite labs across the state.
Mooney said the partnership involves training students to be lab experts.
"This is a plant and Ohio, as a top agriculture state, should be the No. 1 in the country benefiting from that," Mooney said.
CCV Research was incorporated in Ohio to a Sheffield Village address in March, according to state records. Cachat said the company does not run labs in other states, but he has experience in the field.
Cachat ran a college campus lab that dealt with controlled substances while in graduate school and later worked with California testing labs while developing a marijuana-growing technique.
The Department of Commerce, which will license and regulate testing labs, will begin collecting applications from colleges, universities and technical centers on Sept. 11.
State regulators aren't concerned about delays, even if schools don't sign up. They interpret the law's one-year limitation to begin from the first date any marijuana business applications are due, which would expire June 5, 2018.
Ohio's program allows people with one of 21 qualifying medical conditions to buy and use marijuana if recommended by a physician. State regulators finished drafting rules and regulations for the program last month and are reviewing applications for cultivator licenses, the first round of marijuana business licenses the state will award.
We will see.
Baron23
Well-Known Member
Ohio plans to award medical marijuana cultivation licenses in November. Could that delay the program?
State regulators have set a November target for awarding medical marijuana cultivation licenses, causing concern Ohio's new program will be delayed past its September 2018 deadline.
The Ohio Department of Commerce received 185 applications for 24 cultivator licenses statewide -- 12 for small growers and 12 for large growers -- in June.
Cultivator license applicants were expecting a decision about three months after the June 30 deadline, said Thomas Rosenberger, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association of Ohio. Pennsylvania took three months to review 177 applications for 12 medical marijuana grow/processing licenses earlier this year.
"The shortened window will add tremendous pressure to an already tight timeline for building out world class facilities and having the first crop of medical marijuana available by the September 2018 deadline," Rosenberger said.
Rosenberger said it will be even more difficult for applicants that still must gain local zoning approval. Several cities and villages have said they're awaiting state licensing before moving ahead with applicants.
Justin Hunt, chief operating officer for the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program, said the department never gave an estimated date for licenses to be awarded and could announce winners earlier.
"We have the resources that we need, depending on the number of applications that came in," Hunt said. "There were 185 of them so we're moving as quickly as possible."
Program officials plan to wait to accept applications for processors and dispensaries until after the cultivation license award winners are announced.
Licensees will have nine months to get established in accordance with state rules and regulations. Hunt said some cultivators could be up and running in four or five months.
Ohio law allows people with any of 21 medical conditions to buy and use marijuana if recommended to them by a physician. The law went into effect in September 2016 but gave the state two years to draft rules and regulations for the program, license marijuana businesses and make the drug available for patients to buy from dispensaries.
Other parts of the program are have also worried businesses, patients and advocates it won't start on time.
After the plant is harvested, it will have to be tested at a state testing lab or sent to a processor to be turned into an oil or other product and then tested before it can be sold. Ohio law limits testing to public institutions of higher education for one year, and none have publicly stepped forward to say they will apply for a testing lab license.
Hunt said Thursday that schools are considering it but if no one applies for a license next month, the department is prepared to move forward with private labs that could be licensed in June.
Tom Haren, a Westlake attorney who advised cultivator applicants, said Hunt's time estimate is not realistic for most cultivators. Applicants building multi-million dollar indoor growing facilities on vacant land won't likely get much accomplished during Ohio's winter months, he said, and no one is going to start building without a license in hand.
"These large-scale cultivation entities are sophisticated operations," Haren said. "There are a lot of moving parts and they're very expensive."
Haren said the state's timeline also doesn't consider lawsuits from the losing applicants seeking injunctions to pause the process. Lawsuits have delayed programs in Maryland, Florida and other states.
The commerce department is currently reviewing cultivator applications through a panel of state employees in and outside of the department, a department spokeswoman said. Hunt declined Thursday to give details about the scoring panel.
The department has also contracted with three consulting firms to advise on specific parts of the applications: Meade & Wing of Arizona, iCann Consulting of Ohio and B&B Grow Solutions of Illinois.
State regulators have set a November target for awarding medical marijuana cultivation licenses, causing concern Ohio's new program will be delayed past its September 2018 deadline.
The Ohio Department of Commerce received 185 applications for 24 cultivator licenses statewide -- 12 for small growers and 12 for large growers -- in June.
Cultivator license applicants were expecting a decision about three months after the June 30 deadline, said Thomas Rosenberger, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association of Ohio. Pennsylvania took three months to review 177 applications for 12 medical marijuana grow/processing licenses earlier this year.
"The shortened window will add tremendous pressure to an already tight timeline for building out world class facilities and having the first crop of medical marijuana available by the September 2018 deadline," Rosenberger said.
Rosenberger said it will be even more difficult for applicants that still must gain local zoning approval. Several cities and villages have said they're awaiting state licensing before moving ahead with applicants.
Justin Hunt, chief operating officer for the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program, said the department never gave an estimated date for licenses to be awarded and could announce winners earlier.
"We have the resources that we need, depending on the number of applications that came in," Hunt said. "There were 185 of them so we're moving as quickly as possible."
Program officials plan to wait to accept applications for processors and dispensaries until after the cultivation license award winners are announced.
Licensees will have nine months to get established in accordance with state rules and regulations. Hunt said some cultivators could be up and running in four or five months.
Ohio law allows people with any of 21 medical conditions to buy and use marijuana if recommended to them by a physician. The law went into effect in September 2016 but gave the state two years to draft rules and regulations for the program, license marijuana businesses and make the drug available for patients to buy from dispensaries.
Other parts of the program are have also worried businesses, patients and advocates it won't start on time.
After the plant is harvested, it will have to be tested at a state testing lab or sent to a processor to be turned into an oil or other product and then tested before it can be sold. Ohio law limits testing to public institutions of higher education for one year, and none have publicly stepped forward to say they will apply for a testing lab license.
Hunt said Thursday that schools are considering it but if no one applies for a license next month, the department is prepared to move forward with private labs that could be licensed in June.
Tom Haren, a Westlake attorney who advised cultivator applicants, said Hunt's time estimate is not realistic for most cultivators. Applicants building multi-million dollar indoor growing facilities on vacant land won't likely get much accomplished during Ohio's winter months, he said, and no one is going to start building without a license in hand.
"These large-scale cultivation entities are sophisticated operations," Haren said. "There are a lot of moving parts and they're very expensive."
Haren said the state's timeline also doesn't consider lawsuits from the losing applicants seeking injunctions to pause the process. Lawsuits have delayed programs in Maryland, Florida and other states.
The commerce department is currently reviewing cultivator applications through a panel of state employees in and outside of the department, a department spokeswoman said. Hunt declined Thursday to give details about the scoring panel.
The department has also contracted with three consulting firms to advise on specific parts of the applications: Meade & Wing of Arizona, iCann Consulting of Ohio and B&B Grow Solutions of Illinois.
What will happen is that the mmj folk in Ohio will just come over the state line into Michigan; which is a reciprocal state. The growers near the Michigan/Ohio border are already gearing up for it.
Baron23
Well-Known Member
What will happen is that the mmj folk in Ohio will just come over the state line into Michigan; which is a reciprocal state. The growers near the Michigan/Ohio border are already gearing up for it.
Yep, when government thwarts the will of the people, the people get busy smuggling. It is as it has always been.
And when that doesn't work, the black market does lol...
Fat Freddy
Well-Known Member
Yep, I'm due for my next trip north real soon!
Baron23
Well-Known Member
Ohio Finds Public University Willing to Lab Test Medical Pot
Ohio state law requires that for the first year of its medical marijuana program, a quality testing lab must be operated by a public institution of higher education, located within the state, with the resources to operate a lab. After a year of the program, private labs can be licensed.
At least one public university in Ohio is willing to test medical marijuana, for quality purposes, according to CCV Research. This was disclosed in an effort to squash concerns that a lack of labs could delay the entire medical marijuana program.
CCV Research, which understand the “monumental task of implementing an entire cannabis regulatory framework, and the difficulties faced while on-boarding an existing industry into legal compliance,” would not name the college, but announced that it meets the criteria in the state’s medical marijuana program regulations, that demands a public college or university host a laboratory to monitor the quality of plants and products sold to Ohioans.
According to CCV Research spokesman John Cachat, they made the announcement because state lawmakers were considering amending Ohio’s medical marijuana law, out of concern that schools wouldn’t apply. The law requires the first labs to be hosted at a public college or university. Several schools expressed concern that taking part in the program would jeopardize the federal funding they rely on, because marijuana is still illegal under federal law.
“We had a difficult time even finding qualified colleges which were willing to engage in the conversation” said Cachat. “However, we found a unique, entrepreneurial team that recognized the opportunity to provide education with hands on lab experience, create local jobs and support a functioning medical cannabis system in Ohio.”
Last week, CCV Research announced a completed letter of intent with the Ohio institution in part to ease concerns of Ohio patients, cannabis businesses and state regulators that no eligible colleges were willing to participate. The concern was that this critical step in the supply chain would not be met and the entire program would experience delays. State regulators addressed this trepidation by suggesting that the law (HB 523) and/or testing lab regulations could be changed before launch to allow privately-owned companies to apply.
However, CCV Research and other industry experts have been passionately advocating for institutes of higher education to participate in legal cannabis analytics research for years.
Dr. Amanda Reiman, who currently serves on the board of the International Cannabis Growers Association said, “I think that the involvement of universities in the testing of cannabis for state programs makes total sense.”
“Universities and colleges are often on the forefront of research and public discourse,” she added. “Federal funding used to be a huge barrier for these institutions wanting to get involved in this way. But, more and more, state medical cannabis laws are including these institutions as a vital part of their program. I think this is a move in the right direction.”
“For all the flack state regulators have been getting during the rule making process, Ohio did get this right,” said Dr. Jonathan Cachat, president and CEO of CCV Research (and the son of its spokesperson). “The Ohio legislators did a great job in getting colleges involved to assure an unbiased and controlled approach to testing medical cannabis. By placing the analytic testing in the hands of public institutes, Ohio has opened the door for significant life-saving medical breakthroughs, deeply needed workforce development opportunities and eliminated the risks of lab-shopping.”
Lab shopping in mature legal cannabis markets with privately-owned labs is a significant issue in unregulated states. Cannabis product is taken by cultivators or producers to whichever lab gives the best, pre-determined, desired results; E.g., ‘Lab X’ always over estimates the flowers’ THC levels. ‘Lab Y’ never fails any product for fungal diseases.
“It was important that we advise the executive team that lab licensure is not a mechanism for a private company to partner with the college to beat out other companies,” stated Dr. Jonathan Cachat. “In turn, the executive team disclosed a vision for a long-term plan to develop a robust lab technician program across multiple disciplines. They indicated that the cannabis test lab is just a part of the overall workforce development program. “
“There is still concern about loss of federal funding. However, as a public Ohio college, we feel empowered to support the state and Ohio patients with quality and safety assurance, and obligated to provide education and workforce development opportunities,” stated an unnamed college representative.
CCV Research officials did say the institution isn’t in northeast Ohio. They wouldn’t rule out southwest Ohio. Ohio-based media Dayton Daily News contacted officials at Miami University, Wright State, Central State, Ohio State and Sinclair Community College. All of the universities spokespeople weren’t immediately aware of any involvement in the program.
Neither the governor’s office—which CCV says was made aware of the deal—nor the Ohio Department of Commerce would identify the college, either.
It is rumored to be in Southwest Ohio, because Southwest Ohio has been approved to have 15 medical marijuana stores.
“We are waiting until September 5 to formally announce our involvement, to assure support from our community and develop an application that has a high probability of success.” said the anonymous college source. “We are also aware of a potential capacity problems and are reviewing ways to increase testing capacity by means of satellite lab facilities located across the state in cooperation with other Ohio public institutes of higher education allowed by the law.”
State law requires for the first year of the medical marijuana program that the quality testing lab be operated by an institution of higher education that is public, located within the state of Ohio, and has the resources to operate a lab. After a year, private labs can be licensed.
Commerce will accept applications for lab licenses from Sept. 11 through Sept. 22.
CCV Research estimates that by 2020, Ohio’s lab testing industry could be worth half a billion dollars. Not a bad guesstimate, considering Ohio plans to purchase a $6 million seed-to-sale marijuana tracking system.
Ohio state law requires that for the first year of its medical marijuana program, a quality testing lab must be operated by a public institution of higher education, located within the state, with the resources to operate a lab. After a year of the program, private labs can be licensed.
At least one public university in Ohio is willing to test medical marijuana, for quality purposes, according to CCV Research. This was disclosed in an effort to squash concerns that a lack of labs could delay the entire medical marijuana program.
CCV Research, which understand the “monumental task of implementing an entire cannabis regulatory framework, and the difficulties faced while on-boarding an existing industry into legal compliance,” would not name the college, but announced that it meets the criteria in the state’s medical marijuana program regulations, that demands a public college or university host a laboratory to monitor the quality of plants and products sold to Ohioans.
According to CCV Research spokesman John Cachat, they made the announcement because state lawmakers were considering amending Ohio’s medical marijuana law, out of concern that schools wouldn’t apply. The law requires the first labs to be hosted at a public college or university. Several schools expressed concern that taking part in the program would jeopardize the federal funding they rely on, because marijuana is still illegal under federal law.
“We had a difficult time even finding qualified colleges which were willing to engage in the conversation” said Cachat. “However, we found a unique, entrepreneurial team that recognized the opportunity to provide education with hands on lab experience, create local jobs and support a functioning medical cannabis system in Ohio.”
Last week, CCV Research announced a completed letter of intent with the Ohio institution in part to ease concerns of Ohio patients, cannabis businesses and state regulators that no eligible colleges were willing to participate. The concern was that this critical step in the supply chain would not be met and the entire program would experience delays. State regulators addressed this trepidation by suggesting that the law (HB 523) and/or testing lab regulations could be changed before launch to allow privately-owned companies to apply.
However, CCV Research and other industry experts have been passionately advocating for institutes of higher education to participate in legal cannabis analytics research for years.
Dr. Amanda Reiman, who currently serves on the board of the International Cannabis Growers Association said, “I think that the involvement of universities in the testing of cannabis for state programs makes total sense.”
“Universities and colleges are often on the forefront of research and public discourse,” she added. “Federal funding used to be a huge barrier for these institutions wanting to get involved in this way. But, more and more, state medical cannabis laws are including these institutions as a vital part of their program. I think this is a move in the right direction.”
“For all the flack state regulators have been getting during the rule making process, Ohio did get this right,” said Dr. Jonathan Cachat, president and CEO of CCV Research (and the son of its spokesperson). “The Ohio legislators did a great job in getting colleges involved to assure an unbiased and controlled approach to testing medical cannabis. By placing the analytic testing in the hands of public institutes, Ohio has opened the door for significant life-saving medical breakthroughs, deeply needed workforce development opportunities and eliminated the risks of lab-shopping.”
Lab shopping in mature legal cannabis markets with privately-owned labs is a significant issue in unregulated states. Cannabis product is taken by cultivators or producers to whichever lab gives the best, pre-determined, desired results; E.g., ‘Lab X’ always over estimates the flowers’ THC levels. ‘Lab Y’ never fails any product for fungal diseases.
“It was important that we advise the executive team that lab licensure is not a mechanism for a private company to partner with the college to beat out other companies,” stated Dr. Jonathan Cachat. “In turn, the executive team disclosed a vision for a long-term plan to develop a robust lab technician program across multiple disciplines. They indicated that the cannabis test lab is just a part of the overall workforce development program. “
“There is still concern about loss of federal funding. However, as a public Ohio college, we feel empowered to support the state and Ohio patients with quality and safety assurance, and obligated to provide education and workforce development opportunities,” stated an unnamed college representative.
CCV Research officials did say the institution isn’t in northeast Ohio. They wouldn’t rule out southwest Ohio. Ohio-based media Dayton Daily News contacted officials at Miami University, Wright State, Central State, Ohio State and Sinclair Community College. All of the universities spokespeople weren’t immediately aware of any involvement in the program.
Neither the governor’s office—which CCV says was made aware of the deal—nor the Ohio Department of Commerce would identify the college, either.
It is rumored to be in Southwest Ohio, because Southwest Ohio has been approved to have 15 medical marijuana stores.
“We are waiting until September 5 to formally announce our involvement, to assure support from our community and develop an application that has a high probability of success.” said the anonymous college source. “We are also aware of a potential capacity problems and are reviewing ways to increase testing capacity by means of satellite lab facilities located across the state in cooperation with other Ohio public institutes of higher education allowed by the law.”
State law requires for the first year of the medical marijuana program that the quality testing lab be operated by an institution of higher education that is public, located within the state of Ohio, and has the resources to operate a lab. After a year, private labs can be licensed.
Commerce will accept applications for lab licenses from Sept. 11 through Sept. 22.
CCV Research estimates that by 2020, Ohio’s lab testing industry could be worth half a billion dollars. Not a bad guesstimate, considering Ohio plans to purchase a $6 million seed-to-sale marijuana tracking system.
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