Ohio regulators want 73 new medical marijuana dispensary licenses to address demand, more double current number

Ohio medical marijuana regulators want to double the number of dispensary licenses in the state to satisfy patient demand, which has been much higher than anticipated since the program became operational.

Currently, there are 58 dispensaries throughout Ohio.

Ohio Board of Pharmacy staff are working on adding 73 new dispensary licenses, said Justin Sheridan, the board’s director of medical marijuana operations, at a Thursday cannabis discussion at Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law.

That could bring the total number of dispensaries in Ohio to 131 or 132 – depending on the outcome of a court case that could create a 59th dispensary from the first round of dispensary licenses.