Letter to Residents

Wednesday, August 4, at 6 PM, Woodmere Village Council will hear testimony on the topic of medical marijuana dispensaries. 

Recently, the state of Ohio announced the issuance of a limited number of additional permits for businesses seeking to open legally regulated dispensaries.  Some established dispensary owners have inquired whether the Village of Woodmere might welcome such a business.

Village Council will listen to commentary on the subject with the intent of determining whether this potentially tax lucrative business model might be appropriate for our community.  Several state leaders and professionals have been invited to participate in this community forum.

Woodmere Residents are invited to log into the virtual discussion Wednesday, August 4th at 6:PM.  

To register for the virtual meeting send an email to  info@woodmerevillage.com or visit the Woodmere Village website – www.woodmerevillage.com.  

See frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the back of this letter that offer insight on the dispensary business in advance of the discussion next Wednesday at 6:PM.

FAQ

When did Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Program begin?

January 2019 saw the arrival of Ohio’s long-delayed medical marijuana program. Passed under House Bill 523 in 2016, the program was slated to be fully operational by September 2018, but regulatory red tape delayed actual sales of medicinal cannabis until the beginning of 2019.

Medical marijuana is permitted for medicinal use only for patients who are prescribed medical cannabis by a doctor to treat one, or more, of 21 qualifying conditions. These include cancer, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, chronic or severe pain, CTE, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, HIV / AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy/seizure disorder, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, hepatitis C, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, sickle cell anemia, spinal cord disease or injury, Tourette’s, and ulcerative colitis.

Can any physician write a prescription for Medical Marijuana?

Only doctors approved by the State Board of Ohio are permitted to recommend medical marijuana.  By law, physicians must have a patient-doctor relationship, must review a patient’s prescriptions over the past month, and must discuss the risks and benefits of treating their conditions with cannabis. 

As of March 2019, roughly 450 physicians were allowed to make these recommendations.

Is registration required to purchase cannabis at a marijuana dispensary?

Medical marijuana patients and caregivers must be registered to purchase, possess, and use medicinal cannabis with the State Board of Pharmacy, which keeps personal information private.  Registered patients and caregivers are provided registry cards and photo IDs, which they must present to purchase cannabis at a licensed Ohio dispensary.  Patients and caregivers are permitted by law to possess up to a 90-day supply of medical marijuana.

How many dispensaries sale Medicinal Marijuana in Ohio?

The first medical marijuana dispensaries opened on January 16, 2019.  As of April 2021, Ohio is planning to more than double the number of medical cannabis stores in the state.  The state’s Board of Pharmacy approved the licensing of 73 new dispensaries this summer, totaling 130 across the state.

Applicants will be held to the same requirements as those who applied in 2017, and those who meet the criteria will be entered into a lottery by district. 

Each company is limited to five dispensary permits. The increase in dispensaries is tied to a steadily growing patient count in the state. Ohio currently has at least 168,571 registered patients. Ohio medical cannabis sales will reach $350 million to $425 million this year, a sizable increase over the $221.5 million it amassed in 2020.

What patients need when shopping at a medical marijuana dispensary?

Valid identification, patients must bring ID or a passport to prove that they are of legal age. 

Security at dispensaries are substantial and the dispensaries work closely with local and state law enforcement on surveillance and monitoring.  Loitering his prohibited and local communities can add additional regulations to address local concerns.

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