60-plus applicants appeal pot cultivator license rejections

COLUMBUS, Ohio – More than 60 companies have filed appeals after the state rejected their applications for medical marijuana cultivation licenses.

Cleveland.com reports 47 companies that applied for a large grow-license and 16 for a small-grow license have thus far filed appeals with the Ohio Department of Commerce. Those numbers could grow because rejected applicants had 30 days to appeal after being notified by the state.

A total of 185 applications were submitted.

The state agency in November issued 24 provisional licenses, including 12 for growing operations of up to 25,000 square feet (2,323 sq. meters) and 12 for operations of as much as 3,000 square feet (279 sq. meters).

Just over 70 per cent of license applications were disqualified.

A 2016 state law says medical marijuana will be available by September.

___

Information from: cleveland.com, http://www.cleveland.com