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3 Valley firms granted medical-marijuana dispensary licenses
COLUMBUS
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy awarded medical-marijuana dispensary licenses to companies based in Youngstown, Warren and East Liverpool.
Getting the retail licenses Monday were Quest Wellness Ohio II LLC at 4323 Market St., Youngstown, and Green Leaf Medical of Ohio II LLC at 2932 Youngstown Road in Warren.
Quest is headed by local businessman Herb Washington, while Green Leaf’s primary contact is Jill Cain. Neither could be reached Monday by The Vindicator to comment.
There were only two medical- marijuana dispensary licenses available in all of Mahoning, Trumbull and Ashtabula counties.
Hanging Gardens OH LLC at 3134 South Ave. in Youngstown scored the highest among any company in that region, but was disqualified.
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy didn’t give an explanation as to why the company was disqualified.
Also, FarmaceuticalRX LLC at 1865 Dresden Ave. in East Liverpool received a license.
It is among three businesses to receive a dispensary license in a region that includes Columbiana, Stark, Carroll and Tuscarawas counties.
Statewide, 376 companies submitted dispensary applications and 56 licenses were awarded Monday.
The board can add more licenses after September if the existing locations aren’t able to meet the needs of patients.
Dispensary applicants paid a nonrefundable $5,000 fee, and those awarded licenses will pay $70,000 to the state every two years.
Medical marijuana in Ohio is supposed to be available for sale by Sept. 8 at state-licensed dispensary locations. But with none of the 25 companies awarded cultivation licenses approved yet to begin growing, it will likely be delayed.
The medical marijuana can only be obtained for 21 medical conditions and obtained from a state-licensed dispensary with a doctor’s prescription.
State law does not allow marijuana to be sold to be smoked. It can be sold in the forms of oils, patches, topical lotions and edibles.
The dispensary businesses are not permitted to be within 500 feet of a school, church, public library, public playground, public park or community addiction service provider.