Medical marijuana cardholders double, 1st dispensary OK’d, product awaits harvest

As the availability of medical marijuana grows nearer, Ohioans are becoming increasingly eager for their share—so eager that the number of people who are eligible to buy medical marijuana has doubled since the program began accepting registrations two weeks ago.

According to Columbus Business First, 2,170 people have gone through the necessary steps and paid the necessary fees for a registry card.

On Friday, the first dispensary got the green light to open.

CY+, located in Wintersville near the eastern state line, will be operated by Chicago-based Cresco Labs but won’t officially open until product is available in the market. And product won’t be available in the market until the first testing lab opens.

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The first cultivators to open have reached their harvest and have proper licensing to sell dried buds to dispensaries, reports Columbus Business First. But, again, a lab is still required.

A lab in Nelsonville and a lab in Streetsboro are both awaiting final inspections by the Department of Commerce.

The spokeswoman for the Medical Board of Ohio, Tessie Pollock, told Columbus Business First that patients must understand that when product does become available in the first dispensary, it is likely it will sell out on the first day.

“It’s important to note that this program will be in the ‘ramping up’ phase for a while,” she said.

So far, the Medical Board of Ohio has certified 354 physicians to recommend marijuana.

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