Kent, Ravenna sites OK'd for medical marijuana dispensaries during second state selection

Haley BeMiller, Cincinnati Enquirer
·4 min read
A sea of buds in one of the growing rooms at Pure Ohio Wellness in Springfield, Monday, September 20, 2021. Marijuana cultivators are lobbying the state to loosen square footage restrictions that hamstring their ability to profit from their crops.
A sea of buds in one of the growing rooms at Pure Ohio Wellness in Springfield, Monday, September 20, 2021. Marijuana cultivators are lobbying the state to loosen square footage restrictions that hamstring their ability to profit from their crops.

Portage County will be the home of two medical marijuana dispensaries after state officials approved a slate of new licenses this month aimed at improving patient access. The move will more than double the number of such facilities in the state.

The Ohio Board of Pharmacy, which regulates dispensaries, announced the recipients of 70 new licenses that were awarded via lottery, with a certain number allocated for each dispensary district containing a county or group of counties. About 230 different entities submitted nearly 1,500 applications for the chance at getting a license.

More: In Ravenna, medical marijuana applications are about location, location, location

More: Neighbors of planned marijuana dispensary not happy with proposed Kent location

Simple Ag Ohio LLC was OK'd to open a medical marijuana dispensary at 554 N. Chestnut St. in Ravenna.
Simple Ag Ohio LLC was OK'd to open a medical marijuana dispensary at 554 N. Chestnut St. in Ravenna.

Simple Ag Ohio LLC was OK'd to open a dispensary at 554 N. Chestnut St. in Ravenna and Next-Level Operators LLC got the nod for a site at 331 E. Main St. in Kent.

More than a dozen applicants sought to open a dispensary at the Ravenna site, which, previously housed a store called Girls Outside the Box. The store is now operating online only, according to its Facebook page.

Ravenna City Engineer Bob Finney said at the time that the applicants needed to check with his office to make sure that the site was zoned for a dispensary. He said the site is zoned industrial, which permits medical marijuana resale, cultivation and processing. He said the planning commission would have the right to hear a proposal on the project, regulating things like parking and lighting.

Ravenna Mayor Frank Seman said neither he nor Finney has heard from the applicant for the dispensary, and it's not clear how much the city could do to regulate the business. Children's Advantage, a mental health agency that serves children and families, has written a letter to the city, expressing concern that its site is within 500 feet of the property.

Next-Level Operators LLC received approval from the state pharmacy board to open a medical marijuana dispensary at 331 E. Main St. in Kent, shown here in February.
Next-Level Operators LLC received approval from the state pharmacy board to open a medical marijuana dispensary at 331 E. Main St. in Kent, shown here in February.

The Kent site is next door to the Portage County Municipal Courthouse and currently houses a vape business called Lightly Toasted.

Kent Community Development Director Bridget Susel said the applicant appeared before the city's planning commission in January, requesting site plan approval and a conditional zoning certificate. However, the applicant requested a continuance to get information the commission requested. and would need to return with that information to get back on the commission's agenda.

Neighbors of the proposed business spoke against the proposal at the January meeting, expressing concern about the site's proximity to Kent State University, a Catholic school and businesses that draw children. But Tim Sahr, the city's development engineer, said the building would be located more than 100 feet from the residential district, which is the primary setback rule with which the dispensary must conform. The dispensary also must not be located within 500 feet of a church, public library, public playground or public park.

These would be the first dispensaries in Portage County. FN Group Holdings in Ravenna Township was among the first cultivation sites approved by the state.

The board conducted the drawing earlier this year and reviewed applications to determine whether they met business, security and patient care requirements. Dispensaries also can't be within 500 feet of schools, churches, libraries and other facilities.

The pharmacy board announced last year that it would conduct the lottery for 73 more marijuana licenses, bringing the total statewide to 131. Officials are still reviewing applications for the remaining three licenses.

The board used a lottery process in the hope of curbing lawsuits from unsuccessful applicants who disputed the previous, merit-based system. Officials also argued the drawing would level the playing field and ensure small and minority-owned businesses can compete against big players.

Ohio currently has 58 licensed dispensaries. The pharmacy board in 2017 set an initial limit of 60 based on an estimated patient count of between 12,000 and 24,000 over two years.

Over 261,000 patients are currently registered under the program, and nearly 138,000 had an active recommendation from a physician. Many have complained about high prices and needing to drive long distances to find deals or certain products.

See where the dispensaries are located on the map below:

Record-Courier reporter Diane Smith and USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau reporter Jessie Balmert contributed.

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio medical marijuana: Pharmacy board announces dispensary licenses