A medical marijuana facility in Eastlake has received its final certificate of operation, making it the first Level I cultivator in Ohio to get the green light on growing operations.
Buckeye Relief received the highest Level I cultivator application score in the state, according to the facility. A Level I cultivator is permitted to have 15,000 sq. ft. cultivation area, whereas a Level II cultivator can only cultivate 1,600 sq. ft., according to the Department of Commerce. The department said it can issue up to 12 Level I licenses and 6 Level II licenses before Sept. 8. The director may issue additional provisional licenses after that based on the state's population and the patient population, according to the department.
Buckeye Relief was the first Level I cultivator to pass the Department of Commerce inspection and will begin planting immediately, the facility announced in a press release.
With its brand new 60,000 sq. ft. facility and a plan to increase its team by 20 to 40 people in cultivation and harvest positions, Buckeye Relief said it hopes to have finished product by the end of the year.
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Buckeye Relief broke ground on Dec. 1 last year and received its cultivation license on Dec. 2. The facility was waiting to receive a dispensary license and an extraction license before it began hiring more people. Now that it has finished construction and been given the okay to begin growing, it's full steam ahead for Buckeye Relief.
