Ohio regulators are considering whether the state needs more medical cannabis dispensaries, according to a Cleveland.com report.
Officials announced Nov. 12 that they will base their decision on the distance of existing retailers from patients’ homes, the news outlet reported.
According to a recent state survey, 38.25% of patients enrolled in Ohio’s medical cannabis program travel up to 10 miles to a dispensary, while 42% of patients travel 10 to 30 miles, Cleveland.com reported.
Officials from the Ohio Board of Pharmacy are analyzing data from the state’s prescription drug database, which includes information about medical cannabis purchases, to compare the locations of dispensaries to patients’ addresses, according to the news outlet.
When Ohio legalized medical cannabis in 2016, the Board of Pharmacy divided the state into regions and allocated a set number of dispensaries to each, Cleveland.com reported. The state currently has 52 operational dispensaries and five more that are working toward opening.
