State auditor calls Ohio’s marijuana cultivation application process sloppy

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Ohio’s auditor said the state’s process for selecting medical marijuana grower applicants suffered from numerous errors and inconsistencies.

Auditor David Yost said the Department of Commerce exceeded its legal authority when it awarded two additional licenses to cultivators and found weaknesses in how the agency protected passwords, system folders and summary scoring sheets.

Yost, a Republican candidate for Ohio attorney general, on Thursday called the department’s work sloppy and said Ohioans deserved better.

The Department of Commerce said that while it doesn’t agree with every finding, it acknowledges there was room for improvement in the process.

Once up and running, Ohio’s new MMJ program will allow people with certain conditions to buy and use medical marijuana on the recommendation of state-licensed doctors.

Ohio’s cultivation application process is already beset with problems and faces lawsuits over how it was conducted.

– Associated Press