Lorain County Cannabis – Is It Legal & Where To Buy 2024

Is Cannabis Cultivation Legal in Lorain County?

Yes. Growing medical cannabis in Lorain County is allowed. House Bill 523 legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes in 2016. However, recreational use and possession of cannabis remain illegal in the State of Ohio.

The Ohio Department of Commerce is tasked to regulate and issue licenses to prospective medical marijuana cultivators. Level I cultivators may operate initially on a 25,000 square feet cultivation area, while Level II cultivators can perform work on an initial 3,000 square feet cultivation area.

Cultivators must abide by the rules and regulations set forth by the department regarding the operations and quality assurance plan. For starters, the facility must designate different areas based on function, like a marijuana cultivation area separate from other regions. The cultivators must establish an inventory tracking system to document the chain of medical marijuana. Moreover, the facility must be well-kept and in sanitary condition, free from infestation by insects, rodents, and other animals.

State laws forbid growing cannabis outside of homes for personal or household consumption. Any person who unlawfully cultivates marijuana is penalized under misdemeanor offenses and shall pay up to $150 in fines.

Is Cannabis Manufacturing Legal in Lorain County?

Yes. Processors licensed by the Department of Commerce manufacture medical marijuana products. These processors can be vertically integrated facilities, standalone, and plant-only processors which are technically cultivators who dispense marijuana plants directly to dispensaries.

An applicant for a processor provisional license must submit a non-refundable application fee, business plan, operations plan, quality assurance plan, security plan, financial plan, and any other information necessary to determine and evaluate whether the business entity is suitable as a medical marijuana processor.

The processor facility’s operation plan must designate areas based on function, like a marijuana extraction region, that shall only be accessible by authorized personnel. Policies and procedures in the facility should provide the best practices for the secure, safe, and proper processing of medical marijuana including proper training for any person involved in manufacturing. Similar to cultivators’ regulations, the business premises must be sanitary, orderly, and free from the infestation of animals.

In cases of establishing a processing facility or expanding its business, at least 500 feet as a boundary shall be set between the entity and the prohibited area or a public space.

Is Cannabis Retail Legal in Lorain County?

Yes. The sale of medical marijuana is allowed in Ohio. However, sale to recreational consumers is not permitted. Elyria City, the county seat of Lorain County, has proposed legislation to legalize the use and possession of cannabis. But as of writing, no solid plans or amendments have been set towards decriminalizing recreational marijuana use and possession.

Registered patients and caregivers in the Medical Marijuana Control Program can buy medical marijuana at licensed dispensaries authorized by the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy. Minor patients can purchase their cannabis dosages through their caregivers. Possession of medical marijuana is subject to the 90-day supply limit fixed by the board.

Unlike in other states, Ohio allows cannabis edibles to be available to patients and caregivers. It contains marijuana or an extract consumed or orally administrated as food. The state also allows marijuana in tinctures, oils, plant material, creams, lotions, and patches. Vaping is permitted but restricts smoking or combusting of medical marijuana. Attractive forms of marijuana which can lure children are prohibited.

Is Cannabis Delivery Legal in Lorain County?

No. House Bill 523 makes no mention of medical cannabis delivery to residential addresses. Patient & Caregiver Registry card holders can purchase marijuana from licensed dispensaries in person. Only the patient’s caregiver may deliver marijuana to them.

Transportation of medical marijuana from one medical marijuana entity to another must conform to the regulations set by the Department of Commerce. The medical marijuana entity must submit a copy of a transportation log to the medical marijuana entity that will receive the shipment and to the department, a day before the transport within business hours. The vehicles used to transport the package should travel directly from the sending entity and receiving entity without making unnecessary stops.

How to Get Medical Marijuana Cards in Lorain County

The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program provides the step-by-step process for obtaining medical marijuana following Rule 3796:72-01 of the Ohio Administrative Code.

• Step 1: Pay a visit to a physician with a certificate to recommend (CTR), who will create a profile for you in the Patient & Caregiver Registry.

• Step 2: The physician must certify that you have the qualifying condition that requires medical marijuana as a treatment. Listed below are the qualifying conditions:

  • AIDS

  • Alzheimer’s disease

  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

  • Cancer

  • Cachexia

  • Chronic traumatic encephalopathy

  • Crohn’s disease

  • Epilepsy or another seizure disorder

  • Fibromyalgia

  • Glaucoma

  • Hepatitis C

  • Huntington’s Disease

  • Inflammatory bowel disease

  • Multiple sclerosis

  • Pain that is either chronic and severe or intractable

  • Parkinson’s disease

  • Positive status for HIV

  • Post-traumatic stress disorder

  • Sickle cell anemia

  • Spasticity

  • Spinal cord disease or injury

  • Tourette syndrome

  • Traumatic brain injury

  • Terminal illness

  • Ulcerative colitis

• Step 3: Once the physician has entered you in the patient registry, you may log in to your profile to complete your application and pay the fee. Patients pay $50, while caregivers pay $20 as an annual registration fee in the program. Fee reductions are available to veterans and indigents.

1-833-4OH-MMCP (1-833-464-6627)

Ohio Medical Marijuana Toll-Free Helpline

Or you may visit OMMCP’s Contact page

How Has Cannabis Legalization Impacted the Economy of Lorain County?

More than one billion dollars has been generated by the Medical Marijuana Control Program since 2019 when marijuana retailers dispensed their products. In its first month (April 2019), marijuana dispensaries reached approximately $5.2 million in total product sales. Three years later or in November 2022, dispensaries sold over 11.8 million units of manufactured products totaling $1.07 billion.

No excise tax is imposed on the sale of medical marijuana in Lorain County. However, it is subject to a 5.75% sales tax. The increase in registered patients is a factor in the increase of revenue in the form of taxes.

The Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Crime Rates in Lorain County

Licensed dispensaries started selling medical cannabis to patients and caregivers legally in 2019.

Pursuant to the FBI Crime Data Explorer, from 2018 to 2019, there was a nearly 27% decrease in arrests for marijuana possession (from 18,000 to 13,000). Comparatively, arrests for the illegal sale and manufacturing of marijuana went down by 49% in the same period.

This pattern of decreasing rate of arrests continues for the period from 2019 to 2020. From around 13,000 arrests for unlawful marijuana possession, this number dropped to 5,500 (-59%). On the other hand, the illegal sale and manufacturing of marijuana arrests reduced from 8,000 to 900 (-46%).