Oak Harbor has eye on new medical marijuana cultivation plant

OAK HARBOR – Village residents could see a new medical marijuana cultivation facility on Lake Street, if the state approves a license for Trillium Cannabis to open its proposed plant.

Mayor Joe Helle said village council members voted 4-3, with Helle casting the tie-breaking vote, to allow marijuana cultivation companies to operate in Oak Harbor.

Trillium Cannabis approached village officials in May about their interest in building a cultivation plant in Oak Harbor, Helle said.

Company officials immediately filed for the appropriate permits in Oak Harbor after the council voted to lift a moratorium on medical marijuana cultivation facilities, he said.

“I would assume they’re serious about doing it here in Oak Harbor,” Helle said.

The proposed Oak Harbor facility would bring 25 to 30 new jobs to the village, according to Helle, with an average wage around $50,000 annually.

Trillium officials plan to invest $7 million in its proposed 100,000-square-foot facility, which would be built on what is now an empty Lake Street lot.

Helle said the company has a lease agreement, pending the decision on its state license application, on the property

“A little town like Oak Harbor can use all the help it can get,” Helle said.

Ohio passed its medical marijuana law in June 2016. The law allows people with one of 21 medical conditions to buy and use marijuana if recommended by a physician.

The Ohio Department of Commerce released applications in April for companies interested in cultivating medical marijuana. The department plans to issue up to 12 level I licenses for up to 25,000 square feet of growing space and 12 level II licenses for up to 3,000 square feet of space.

The application deadline is Friday.

In Sandusky County, Gibsonburg is also closely watching the state’s medical marijuana facility application process.

Village officials have unveiled plans for a proposed 50,000-square-foot medical marijuana production facility at the Clearview Industrial Park, a move that could bring in up to 100 new jobs.

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