Medical marijuana access in Ohio will more than double by next spring – Axios

The number of medical marijuana dispensaries in Ohio will grow twofold by next spring.

Driving the news: State officials selected 70 recipients of new marijuana licenses through a lottery last month, more than doubling Ohio’s current 58 dispensaries.

Why it matters: More dispensaries mean better access for the 142,000 Ohioans registered with the state’s Medical Marijuana Control Program.

Zoom in: 17 counties will receive their first dispensary. That includes Delaware County, to be located at 26 Moore St. in Delaware.

Nine new locations will open in Franklin County, bringing us to 15 total.

What’s next: Owners must build spaces in compliance with state laws and regulations before they can open. They have until February 2023 to pass an inspection.

State of play: Ohio lawmakers created the medical marijuana program in 2016, and it went live three years later.

Meanwhile, legalization of recreational marijuana has faced several roadblocks.

Republican leaders have opposed it and there are steep election hurdles to place the issue before voters.Researchers from Ohio State estimate legalization could net the state up to $375 million in annual tax

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