Source: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
On December 20, 2018, Ohio gave the first certificate of operation to a medical marijuana testing facility, which means that every level — cultivation, processing, testing, and dispensing — now has at least one business ready to serve the state’s medical marijuana customers (Source: “Ohio Gives Green Light to First Marijuana Testing Lab,” The Columbus Dispatch, December 20, 2018).
North Coast Testing Laboratories, of Streetsboro in Portage County, can begin testing cannabis samples. Just a few of the small growers have cannabis ready for testing, so the first product to reach consumers will be very limited.
Ohio hopes to see its first medical marijuana sale sometime early in 2019.
At least 2,170 Ohioans hold active medical marijuana cards now, and doctors have written more than 3,460 recommendations for medical marijuana, according to the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy.
The Health Policy Institute of Ohio has created an online resource page to inform policymakers and other stakeholders about the Medical Marijuana Control Program and medical marijuana legalization in Ohio. The resource page also includes resources on the health and policy implications of changes in marijuana use.