While Tuscarawas County will not be getting any medical marijuana dispensaries, three will be locating in neighboring counties.
The area dispensary awardees are:
n Mother Know's Best LLC, within the Stein Industrial Park, Canton.
n Greenleaf Apothecaries LLC, 3840 Greentree SW, Canton.
n Ohio Cannabis Clinic LLC, 23024 County Road 621, Suite 1, Coshocton.
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy announced the 56 dispensary statewide license recipients Monday.
The dispensary announcement is an important step in the more than two-year process the state is in the midst of to get medical marijuana to eligible patients. The announcement was delayed last month because the pharmacy board had yet to complete validating the minimum requirements for applicants, such as background checks. State law says the program must be operational by the Sept. 8 deadline.
Dispensaries are the retail component of the multifaceted new industry where consumers — in this case patients and caregivers — actually go to pick up the product once they have a doctor-recommended and state-approved medical card.
Each applicant had to pay a $5,000 upfront fee and those selected must pay a $20,000 biennial renewal fee.
Several communities in the Tuscarawas Valley voted to ban dispensaries, including New Philadelphia, Dover, Bolivar, Barnhill, Dellroy and Lawrence Township.
During the application process, prospective operators had to file proof the location was in a municipality without a moratorium or ban.
The dispensaries are prohibited from being located within 500 feet of a school, church, public library, public playground, public park or community addiction services provider.