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Good News For Ohio's Medical Marijuana Program

There was bad news for some of those challenging the process behind the state’s medical marijuana program, but that’s good news for its future. 

Ohio’s medical marijuana process can continue but hearings on complaints by applicants who were not awarded one of 24 growing licenses must be conducted by the state quickly. That’s the ruling from two Franklin County courts in recent days. The challenge for these rulings came from companies that were denied licenses and sued, asking to stop the licensing process. Those companies claimed the scoring of the applications was incorrect and questioned the integrity of some employees. The state admitted a departmental error and awarded a 25th growing license last week, which pleased other rejected applicants. Ohio’s medical marijuana program is supposed to be ‘fully operational” by September 8th but the Commerce Department has said that doesn’t mean every company will be running at full capacity at that point. 

Copyright 2018 The Statehouse News Bureau

Jo Ingles is a professional journalist who covers politics and Ohio government for the Ohio Public Radio and Television for the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau. She reports on issues of importance to Ohioans including education, legislation, politics, and life and death issues such as capital punishment.