COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that state medical cannabis regulators must end
more than a year of inaction and decide to allow a grower to expand its operations.
Akron-based Fire Rock Ltd. asked the Ohio Department of Commerce in February 2020 to expand beyond its
cultivation area of 3000 feet (915 meters), Cleveland.com reported.
Fire Rock argued that it did not have the space needed to meet demand.
The majority of the court ruled Thursday that the department had the right to take no action in regards
to Fire Rock’s application.
The department’s rules allow the director or the director’s designee to approve the expansion of a
cultivation area at their discretion. The rule allows cultivators to submit an expansion application and
gives the department "reasonable time to review and approve or deny" it, the court’s decision
noted.