Ohio OKs first marijuana testing lab

Ohio gave the first certificate of operation to a medical marijuana testing facility this week, which means that every level — cultivation, processing, testing and dispensing — now has at least one business ready to serve the state’s medical marijuana customers  (Source: “Ohio gives green light to first marijuana testing lab,” Columbus Dispatch, Dec. 20, 2018).

North Coast Testing Laboratories, of Streetsboro in Portage County, can begin testing cannabis samples. Just a few of the small growers have cannabis ready for testing, so the first product to reach consumers will be very limited.

Ohio hopes to see its first medical marijuana sale sometime around Jan. 1.

At least 2,170 Ohioans hold active medical marijuana cards now, and doctors have written more than 3,460 recommendations for medical marijuana, according to Ohio’s Board of Pharmacy.

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio has created an online resource page to inform policymakers and other stakeholders about the Medical Marijuana Control Program and medical marijuana legalization in Ohio. The resource page also includes resources on the health and policy implications of changes in marijuana use.