After delays in the state’s medical marijuana program, a cultivation facility in Yellow Springs has met a long-awaited milestone.
Dressed in protective clothing, under harsh fluorescent lighting workers harvested more than 20 strands of medicinal at the cultivation facility.
Cresco Labs which employees about 80 people gave a tour of the facility to members of the media.
“Our patients have been waiting a long time for this,” spokesman for Cresco Labs Jason Erkes explained. “There are patients suffering cancer to fibromyalgia, epilepsy and waiting for this relief.”
The state passed a medical marijuana law in 2016. By September of 2018, the system was expected to be operational.
Erkes says licensing and state guidelines delayed the program by about three months.
“Right now we are only waiting for the testing facilities so that way we can deliver the products to the dispensaries and get it ready for the patients.”
North Coast Testing lab near Akron received the green light to begin testing medical marijuana Thursday. A testing site at Hocking College has been inspected and is awaiting approval.
The spokesperson for the Yellow Springs lab says with the authorization of the testing lab near Akron, their product can be available in the form of oil, edibles, salves and balm by January of 2019.