Medical marijuana dispensaries to be opened in Ohio by Heisman winning quarterback Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Sr. and Eric Metcalf

Ohio is considering 60 dispensaries for medicinal purposes

In 2006, Troy Smith won college football’s top honors. Now he’s collaborating with his football coach at Glenville High School, Ted Ginn Sr., and former Cleveland Browns player Eric Metcalf to open a dispensary in Cleveland, OH.

The three are partnering with Jim Buchanan, a former Cleveland resident who runs a medical marijuana dispensary near Seattle, WA. Jim Buchanan opened Buchanan’s Emerald Haze recreational dispensary on April 20, 2015 in Renton, Washington, and has plans to open four more.

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At a hearing about the Ohio Board of Pharmacy’s proposed rules on dispensaries, Buchanan was generally positive about about Ohio’s process of legalizing marijuana for certain conditions.

Tory Smith, who has been suffering from head trauma since the age of 7, is a proponent of the legislation. When asked, Smith discussed the difference between someone leading a regular daily life, one free from migraines, and a person who is burdened with trauma similar to his. To note, the medical marijuana ceases the headaches.

Ted Ginn Sr. said he is “interested in the education aspect of medical marijuana and giving jobs to people.”

Ginn Sr. is a cancer survivor — one of the 20 illnesses for which Ohioans could use marijuana.

So far, Ohio is considering 60 dispensaries, for which the application fees are $5,000. Buchanan and his partners ponder South Euclid, Cleveland, Warrensville Heights, and Lakewood for their potential dispensary locations.

The dispensary rules are on track to be finalized in September after public comments are sent to the legislature’s Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review.

The Ohio Department of Commerce, which will regulate the state’s cultivation sites, received 185 applications for the 24 sites.

The medical marijuana program must be operational by September of the upcoming year.

Credit: Tom Knox, Ohio State University, Energy, State Policy, Business of Marijuana — Columbus Business First.

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