Why Ohio's Two Year Old Medical Marijuana Program Isn't Serving Patients Yet

Ohio’s medical marijuana program went into effect on September 8, 2016 yet two years later, the drug hasn’t been dispensed to anyone. It was supposed to be fully operational on September 8^th of this year but that’s not happening. Here's why.Weather, delays associated with ordering equipment, real estate closing delays, problems with utilities or unforeseen issues with renovation of buildings, delays with local permitting – those are some reasons the program isn’t going to be fully operational by that September 8^th, 2018 deadline.The Ohio Department of Commerce’s Stephanie Gostomski says court suits that have been brought against the state over the way the program has been handled have given it the green light to continue. And she says it is. She says some companies that have been awarded licenses are in the process of producing the product. And while there’s not a definite date for when the first medical marijuana under this program will actually be provided to a patient, Gostomski says the program, which has many moving parts, is on course. But for now, patients who want to get medical marijuana through this program will have to be patient. Copyright 2018 The Statehouse News Bureau. To see more, visit The Statehouse News Bureau.