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Board OKs $2.1M Loan for Medical Marijuana Legal Costs
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Ohio’s Controlling Board has authorized a $2.1 million loan to help state agencies running the medical marijuana program cover legal costs.
Cleveland.com reports the Ohio Controlling Board approved the loan from the state emergency fund on Monday.
An Ohio Department of Commerce official had said the $2.1 million is needed to cover legal costs from lawsuits brought by companies denied medical marijuana cultivators’ licenses. Mark Hamlin, senior policy adviser for the Department of Commerce, said the $1 million budgeted for legal costs wasn’t enough.
The department is one of three state agencies overseeing Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Control Program. The program has been experiencing delays getting the product on shelves.
Hamlin told the board that the medical marijuana program will begin to repay the state when it starts receiving more fees.