COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Central Ohio won't have any medical marijuana growers when Ohio's program begins, but it could be home to several testing labs.
Three of the nine applicants to test medical marijuana plant material and products listed central Ohio sites on their applications, according to records released Friday by the Ohio Department of Commerce. A fourth listed a Worthington business address. Two companies listed sites in Northeast Ohio (Akron and Streetsboro) and one applied for a site in Toledo.
Central State University in Wilberforce and Hocking Technical College in Nelsonville were the only two public colleges to apply.
Ohio's medical marijuana law requires all marijuana to be tested for quality and potency by an independent lab. Marijuana #incart_river_index" target="_blank">cultivator, processor and dispensary owners cannot be involved in a testing lab operation.
The law also limited licenses to public colleges and universities for one year. The state's large universities declined to get involved, causing concerns that the program could be delayed past its statutory September 2018 deadline. The commerce department has since interpreted the law to mean one year from when any marijuana business license application is accepted, or June 2018.
There is no limit to the number of testing lab licenses the department can award.
The seven private entities that applied include out-of-state players and Columbus-based Battelle Memorial Institute, which lobbied state regulators to open the door for it and others to test marijuana.
The records released Friday included the proposed testing lab location and primary contact for each but did not include information about others who own or have a stake in the companies.
Here's what we know about the private testing lab applicants.
ACT Laboratories Inc., Toledo: Operates labs in Michigan and Illinois and is one of two labs awarded licenses to test cannabis in Pennsylvania, which is also in the process of setting up its medical marijuana program.
Akrivis Lab LLC, TBD: Kavi Nithyanandam, president and CEO of central Ohio technology consulting company Lantrasoft, is listed as the managing member.
Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus: The research and development nonprofit let its interest in testing marijuana be known earlier this year when it submitted comments on the regulations for testing labs. Battelle plans to study cannabis at its Maryland facility.
CAS Laboratories LLC (trade name Cannabis Analytical Solutions), Columbus: Mark Fashian is listed as the company's CEO. Fashian is the president of Midwest Analytical Solutions, LLC, according to his LinkedIn profile. The company distributes scientific equipment, according to government contract records.
Keystone State Testing of Ohio LLC, Columbus: The company is a subsidiary of the other company licensed to test medical marijuana in Pennsylvania.
North Coast Testing Laboratories LLC, Streetsboro: The site address listed on the application currently houses North Coast Environmental Laboratories LLC, which performs tests for drinking water, industrial waste and other organic compounds.
QualesOH, Akron: The company is affiliated with Quales LLC, which is licensed to test marijuana in Maryland. Manoj Adusumilli is listed as the Ohio owner. Adusumilli is a design and innovations strategist at Med-Strategies, a Virginia health care billing and business services company, according to his LinkedIn profile.
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