Ohio to more than double number of medical marijuana dispensaries. See where they are

Haley BeMiller, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read
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A sea of buds in one of the growing rooms at Pure Ohio Wellness in Springfield in 2021.
A sea of buds in one of the growing rooms at Pure Ohio Wellness in Springfield in 2021.

Ohio will more than double its number of medical marijuana dispensaries after state officials approved a slate of new licenses on Monday aimed at improving patient access.

The Ohio Board of Pharmacy, which regulates dispensaries, announced the recipients of 70 new licenses that were awarded via lottery, with a certain number allocated for each dispensary district containing a county or group of counties. About 230 different entities submitted nearly 1,500 applications for the chance at getting a license.

The board conducted the drawing earlier this year and reviewed applications to determine whether they met business, security and patient care requirements. Dispensaries also can't be within 500 feet of schools, churches, libraries and other facilities.

Medical marijuana: Empty Family Video stores are popular sites for marijuana dispensaries in Ohio

The board announced last year that it would conduct the lottery for 73 more marijuana licenses, bringing the total statewide to 131. Officials are still reviewing applications for the remaining three licenses.

The board used a lottery process in the hope of curbing lawsuits from unsuccessful applicants who disputed the previous, merit-based system. Officials also argued the drawing would level the playing field and ensure small and minority-owned businesses can compete against big players.

Black lawmakers and business owners say this alone won't encourage equity in the industry and have advocated for requiring licensees to commit to diverse hiring practices or spend a certain amount on minority vendors.

Ohio currently has 58 licensed dispensaries. The pharmacy board in 2017 set an initial limit of 60 based on an estimated patient count of between 12,000 and 24,000 over two years.

Over 261,000 patients are currently registered under the program, and nearly 138,000 had an active recommendation from a physician. Many have complained about high prices and needing to drive long distances to find deals or certain products.

Where are the new dispensaries?

One-third of the new licenses went to dispensaries in Franklin, Hamilton and Cuyahoga counties, with nine going to businesses in Columbus. Eight of the licenses were awarded to dispensaries in Cincinnati.

Among the locations are vacant Family Video stores in Coshocton, Columbus, Tiffin, Delphos and Dayton.

Dispensaries in smaller cities like Lima, Athens and Piqua also received licenses. Three districts in western Ohio that did not previously have any dispensaries will each have at least one.

See where the dispensaries are located on the map below:

USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau reporter Jessie Balmert contributed.

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio medical marijuana: Pharmacy board announces dispensary licenses