State OKs additional $6 million for medical marijuana set up

The State Controlling Board, a legislative panel that oversees state expenditures, on Monday approved an additional $6 million to pay for startup expenses for the Ohio Medical Marijuana Program (Source: “Medical marijuana set-up costing Ohio taxpayers $6 million more,” Columbus Dispatch, July 25, 2017).

In separate votes, the board approved an additional $1.6 million for the Ohio Board of Pharmacy and $4.4 million for the Ohio Commerce Department. Both agencies are involved in setting up the new program to permit the sale of medical marijuana to qualifying patients by September 2018.

The money earmarked for the Board of Pharmacy will be used to hire a consultant to create a scoring system to approve marijuana dispensary licenses, pay for a toll-free hotline and cover anticipated legal expenses, according to Controlling Board documents. The Commerce Department said it will use the new money primarily for a “seed-to-sale” database tracking program related to the planting, harvest, processing and sale of medical marijuana and products containing it to people with any of 21 specified diseases, medical conditions and chronic pain.

About $5 million was previously approved by the Controlling Board for related startup expenses. State agencies that they expect to be able to repay some of the advance money from licenses and fees when the program is up and running.