Application scheduleĪpplication details will be released Monday. Among those: asking businesses to commit to diverse hiring practices or requiring licensees spend a certain amount on minority vendors. There are ways Ohio could encourage greater equity in the industry without changing the law, said Eric Foster, national policy director for advocacy group Minorities for Medical Marijuana. And let's grow this the way that we intended to grow it.' 'Let's make certain that we're supporting the businesses that are already out there. 'Let's make sure certain that everything is equal,' West said. Lawmakers are working on a bill to commission that study, said Rep. But no study has been done on discrimination in the industry here or barriers to access for non-white business owners. In the two years since the court's decisions, most Ohio marijuana businesses are now up and running. Medical marijuana was a new industry in Ohio, so the state couldn't justify the need for it in court. Minority set-asides have been in place in Ohio in other industries where a history of discrimination has been documented. That part of the law was later struck down by court and won't be in place for this second application round for 73 new licenses that begins this month. Ohio's equity provision shut downĬultivation and dispensary licenses were awarded in 20 under state law that required 15% of all marijuana licenses go to businesses owned by a member of one of those 'economically disadvantaged' groups. Slowing down also wasn't an option for the board, which began discussing this process early this year in response to patient complaints about high prices and long drives to dispensaries.

Reduced fees for minority applicants were considered, he said, but board attorneys determined they'd likely be struck down in court without the backing of state law and upend the second round of licenses. But the board is limited in what it could do to address those concerns, McNamee said.

Ohio business license procedures