A panel of Ohio lawmakers cleared 11 administrative rules on Monday for the state's medical and recreational marijuana programs, including one that spells out how existing medical marijuana retailers can apply for dual-use medicinal and recreational dispensary licenses.

The move, undertaken by the Joint Committee On Agency Rule Review (JCARR), puts Ohio adults one step closer to being able to legally purchase cannabis in dispensaries and shops, following last November's legalization of recreational marijuana.

A separate rule also cleared on Monday noted existing dispensaries seeking dual licensees need to fill out and present applications no later than June 7. If approved they will be allowed to sell to medical marijuana patients as well as adults, noted Cleveland.com.

Rep. Jamie Callender (R), vice chair of JCARR and outspoken supporter of legal cannabis, thanked the head of the Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) for "the work you've put in on this — for doing this timely and to help move forward the will of the voters, and we look forward to watching these rules go into effect in a couple of weeks."

Callender, who said in April that sales should begin at least on July 4, added that regulators assured him that they would have applications online before the new rules' June 7 deadline and he's optimistic that sales will begin by mid-June.

James Canepa, who was selected to serve as the first superintendent of the DCC, previously said the legislature's delayed action could complicate regulators' work to effectively stand up the new market.

It's Been A Slog

As of just one month ago, Ohio House leaders said the legislature could not and likely would not find common ground on how and when to move legal cannabis forward.

For months, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who is not now nor has even been a supporter of marijuana legalization, nevertheless routinely urged lawmakers to pass regulations and get the show on the road.

"What we don’t want is a situation where the black market grows and we don’t want a situation really where people don’t know what the rules are, and we just need to get this done,” Gov DeWine said at several points and in various ways during the negotiations between the state GOP-dominated House and Senate.

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