Oberlin chosen for marijuana cultivation site

OBERLIN – A marijuana cultivator from Cleveland has been awarded a license to grow medical pot in Oberlin.

The state announced Friday the list of recipients of for the Level II cultivator provisional licenses with Oberlin being the only city in Lorain County to get a licensed grower.

The Level I cultivator provisional licenses will be announced in the coming weeks, according to the state.

The state Department of Commerce can award up to 12 Level I cultivator licenses and up to 12 Level II cultivator licenses.

The difference between them is size. Level 1 cultivators are allowed to operate a cultivation area of up to 25,000 square feet while Level II cultivators are allowed to operate an initial cultivation area of up to 3,000 square feet.

According to the application submitted to the state, the Oberlin grower is Ascension BioMedical LLC with an address of 700 W. St. Clair Ave, Cleveland. It’s owned by Fadi Boumitri.

Oberlin Councilman Kelley Singleton said he was “head over heels” excited about the news.

In May, Singleton pushed the Council to pass a resolution supporting medical marijuana businesses in the city’s industrial park, the zoning of which is compatible with the cultivation, testing and processing of marijuana.

On the Ascension BioMedical’s application, the location proposed for the cultivation site was blacked out.

“I’m so glad that we were able to pass that resolution,” Singleton said. “Without it, we wouldn’t be where we are now and wouldn’t have had a chance to get this done.”

Singleton said he’s focused on the economic benefits medical marijuana will bring to the city.

“It could add some sorely needed tax revenue and it’s more jobs, good paying jobs for Oberlin,” Singleton said. “It was a lot of work involved in talking and convincing all member of Council that this was the right thing to do and now we won one.”

John Pardee, a founding member of the Ohio Rights Group and an Oberlin resident, also thanked Singleton for his work in a phone call Friday.

“I called Kelley Singleton and I gave him the congratulations. He was over the moon excited,” Pardee said. “I’m super excited and super proud of my hometown. I can’t wait to see how much good that’s going to do for Oberlin and the surrounding area.”