Ohio is on track to commence its medical cannabis program, made effective last September, by 2018. The applications for cultivation were due June 16th for Level II licenses and June 30th for Level I licenses, and The Ohio Department of Commerce released the names of all of the applicants just five days later, highly unusual transparency relative to other state programs, which have typically disclosed this information after licenses are awarded.

Ohio received 109 Level I applications and 76 Level II applications, and it will be awarding only 12 of each. Level I licenses permit the operator to grow in up to 25K sq. ft. initially, while the Level II licenses are capped at 3K sq. ft. initially. Level I applicants paid an application fee of $20K and will pay an initial license fee of $180K and a $200K annual renewal fee, while the Level II application fee was $2000, with an initial license fee of $18K and an annual renewal fee of $20K. The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program is required to be operational no later than September 2018.

While Ohio shared the applicants, the amount of information provided was minimal, including only the name of the applicant, its contact person and the type of license the entity is seeking. Not surprisingly, the applicants included many of the large multi-state cannabis companies, like Columbia Care, Cresco Labs, GTI, Pharmacann and Vireo Health (Ohio Medical Solutions). We profiled several of these companies earlier this year when we pointed to the prevalence of these multi-state operators.

Given the lack of detail, it’s difficult to know about each of the applicants, but a couple stand out. Andy Joseph, the contact person for Ohio Grown Therapies, is the CEO of Ohio-based Apeks Supercritical, a leading provider of extraction equipment to the cannabis industry. Another interesting applicant is Schottenstein Aphria LLC, which we are investigating more closely. We have confirmed that Aphria (TSX: APH) (OTC: APHQF), a leading Canadian licensed producer, has partnered with the Ohio family best known for its success in the retail industry, including American Eagle Outfitters and DSW. This would be the third U.S. state in which Aphria would have ties to operations, including Arizona and Florida.

Here is the complete list of applicants:

Tier II Applicants

RSLBC, Rene Hruska

Thomas Moore, Thomas Moore

Jason Wilson, Bethany Niebauer

P&M Organics LLC, Kahepri Polite

Buckeye Pharms, Richard Haughton

Ohio Greenland, Inc., Kenneth Davidson

Silver Rapids, Inc., Victor Masters

Marlentip Industries, Colleen Geib

Sylvia Friesen, Reginald Friesen

Fire Rock, LTD Matthew Noyes (3 applications)

Agrid-Med Ohio LLC, Charles McCay

DRD Medical LLC, Daniel Kline

Geoffrey Korff, Geoffrey Korff

Matt Flynn, Matt Flynn

FN Group Holdings, Mark Hobson

Compassionate Hearts Cultivation, Joseph C.

BLD Agrology LLC, David Beam

Paradise Farms LLP, Catherine Combs

Canapa Supply, Inc., Roberta Wells

Buckeye Leaf, Dan Vogot

Nature House, LLC David Patton

Crataegus, LLC David Patton

Farkas Farms, LLC Ronald Farkas

TFO LLC, David Burkovits

Ancient Roots, David Haley

Ohio Marijuana Supply LLC, Dustin Howell

American Cannabis Enterprise, Greg Rousch

Certified Pharmaceuticals LLC, Ian Heyman (2 applications)

Botanical Boutique, LLC, Stephanie Jandick

O Meds LLC, Matthew Cull

Mer-IT Releaf, LTD Edward Itayim

OhiGrow LLC, Jared Boyar

Clean Green Farms LLC, Daniel Michael Travagliante

Fortuity LLC, Karen DeLuca

Mother Grows Best LLC, Sam Dorf

Capital City Medicinal, Brian Mitch

Green Health +Wellness, Skip Dragoiu

Grow Vinton LLC Sandy Rodgers

Pure OH LLC, Jill Lamorouex

Chloris CC LLC, Priscilla Harris

Ohio Wellness Cultivators, LLC Jeff Walker

Kenneth Arien Lowery, Kenneth Lowery

CBDJ, Inc., Corey Young

Ohio Valley Responsible Cultivators, Jennifer De Marco

Med-Treez Inc., Deborah Fox

RG Farms LLC, Ramamoothy Ramasamy

Secure Cultivation Company, Jim Ickes

New Age Farms LLC, Sean Sanford

MJMD Enterprises LTD, Melinda Goutz

Ohio Medigreen LTD, John Vancickle

Warchag, Inc., Grand Cleveland

OH Canna Wellness LLC, Patty Murduck

The Summit Bonsai, Inc., Paul Bergman

Ascension Bio Medical, Fodi Boumitri

BBSD Cultivators LLC, Justin Fox

Essential Creations, Monicca Mott

Agrimed Industries of OH LLC, Richard Goodman

Omni Farms LLC, Manoj Pokala

Ganja Farms LLC, Karunakar Gaddam

Official Organics LLC, Ahmed Edwards

Eastside Nursery Cultivators LTD, Ian Heyman

Bickshaw Investment Group LLC, Ian Heyman

Ohio Clean Leaf LLC, Robert Landis (2 applications)

Pure Medicinal Company, Ron Hall

National Biopharma, David Whitfield

BluSky Wellness, LLC Karen King

Hearing III LLC, Shonda Macias

Structural Gardens, Timothy Chiles

Canabiz LLC, Jamie Ridenour

Earth Philosophy, Rachel Dufresne

Runkadela Productions LTD, Chrissy Sharp

Hemma LLC, Elizabeth VanDulman McLaughlin

Tier I Applicants

BZ Gist LLC d/b/a Glasshouse Farma, Brent Zimmerman

Growth Orchard Partners LLC, Craig Rowe

HMS Health LLC, Karen & Shakil Siddiqui

Agrogenius LLC, Adam Goldie

Green Investment Partners, LLC Lori Steiner

Riviera Creek Holdings LLC, Chris Stock

Skee Ohio LLC, Mike Crawford

Pharma Cann Ohio LLC, Teddy Scott

Grow Ohio Pharmaceuticals Inc., Mel Kurtz

Alta Luna LP, Chris Schmenk

Ohio Craft Cultivators LLC, Anthony DiLornezo

Green Leaf Medical of Ohio LLC, Jill Cain

Cresco Labs Ohio LLC, Charles Bachtell

Grow Med Ohio LLC, Sam Bernardo, Nick Pamboukis, Andrew Stalnaker

GTI Ohio LLC (Toledo), Bret Kravitz

GTI Ohio LLC (Lorain), Bret Kravitz

NMG Ohio LLC, Scott Oelke, Robert Hausman

Farmaceutical RX LLC, Lloyd Pierre-Louise

Harvest Grows LLC (Lawrence County), Matthew DiDonato

Harvest Grows LLC (Cleveland), Matthew DiDonato

Real Growth Investments II LLC, Glen Meert

Ohio Therapeutics LLC, Brian McDonald

AT-CPC of Ohio LLC, Lauren Payne

Future Dreams of Ohio LLC, Robert DiGabriel

FW Green Investments LLC (Germantown), Steve Anevski

FW Green Investments LLC (Huber Heights), Steve Anevski

Ohio Grown Therapies LLC, Andy Joseph

Greenleaf Gardens LLC (Willoughby), Oscar Hackett

Greenleaf Gardens LLC (Middlefield), Oscar Hackett

Greenleaf Gardens LLC (Akron), Oscar Hackett

Standard Wellness Company LLC, Erik Vaughn

NEO Farmaceuticals, LLC Michael Wager

Oberson’s Nursery and Landscapes, Inc., Chad Oberson

Buckeye Relief LLC Andy Rayburn

Ohio Medical Solutions, Inc., Kyle Kingsley

Ritegene Technologies, LLC, Cheryl Kempford

Green Peak Industries Ohio LLC, Joe Neller

Pure Ohio Wellness LLC, Larry Pegram

Ohio Green Grow LLC, Steve Weisman

Sona Health Ohio LLC, Jim Gillece

Black Elk Farms LLC, Chris Vince

HVV Mission Ohio LLC (Columbus), Sean Gallagher

HVV Mission Ohio LLC (Coshocton), Sean Gallagher

Blu Script LLC, Matt Borges

Green Camp Provisions LLC, Janet Breneman

VITA EST LLC, Steve Baden

Harvest Bloom LLC Joe Merino

OPC Cultivation LLC, Jeff McCourt

Goodtree Healthcare LLC, Eugene Shteyngarts

Certified Cultivators LLC, Jeffrey Bobier

Somerset Cultivation Group LLC, Ken Krismanth

Ohio Medical Holdings LLC, Alex Boymel

Columbia Care OH LLC Nick Vita

Consurtium Ohio LLC, Jose Hidalgo

7 Points Group LLC. Matt Elam

Green Mile Wellness LLC, Darrin Farrow

Squared Investors LLC, Sebastian Scangmi

Ohio Grown Medicene LLC, Theresa Beasley

Lake Erie Compassion Care LLC (Lowellville), Lawrence Mason

Lake Erie Compassion Care LLC, (Toledo) Lawrence Mason

Nature’s Apex LLC Kendall Kadish

Mahoning Valley Agriculture LLC, Tom Ryan

Buckeye Botanicals LLC Sara Demianycz

Schottenstein Aphria LLC, Louis Alcalde

Agri-Med Enterprises, Inc., Alexius Dorsey

Ohio Grows, Inc. Steve Close

Sanctuary Medicinals of Ohio LLC, Dan Glennon

Parma Wellness Center LLC, Steve Dimon

AFS Cultivation LLC, William Brothers

Ohio Leaf Relief LLC, Eric Leutsch

Terradiol Ohio LLC, John Vavalo

Quest Wellness Ohio LLC (Youngstown), John Oberle

Quest Wellness Ohio LLC (Columbus), John Oberle

Ohio Green Systems LLC, Fabio Salerno

MRJN Medical LLC, John Roszczyk

Patient Relief of Ohio LLC, Caryn Kaufman

Trillum Holdings,Inc., Joe Wright

PalliaTech Ohio LLC Becky DeKeuster

PalliaTech Ohio LLC (Woodlawn), Becky DeKeuster

PalliaTech Ohio LLC (Cincinnati), Becky DeKeuster

Health for Life Ohio LLC, Tenisha Victor

Ohio Care + Wellness LLC, Maruthyunjaya Gonchigr

TKO OC LLC (Cleveland), Jennifer Hart

TKO OC LLC (Canton). Jennifer Hart

J-RS Development LLC, Joe Scaccio

Under The Water Tower LLC, Dana Smoot

The Harvest Foundation of Ohio LLC, Larry Lemons

Northwest Logistics LLC, John Bastos

Hanging Gardens OH LLC, Ethan Moon

Silphium Grow LLC, David Moorhead

Growing Wellness LLC, Archie Williamson

Mandino Supply LTD, Todd Dawson

CannaMed Therapeutics LLC, Todd Yaross

OH-Gro LLC, Darlene Mager

OrChaim Cultivation LLC, Bryan Sherman

Greenhouse Organic Development, Matthew Cull

Central Ohio Medicinal Farms LLC, Bob Zab

HappyDale Farms LLC, Laurie Fairchild

Justice Grown Ohio LLC, Jameel Taylor

Farms of Riverside LLC, Sapna Gupta

Atrium Enterprises LLC, Travis Pollock

Qualitative Health Solutions LLC, Rich Gerhadt

Appalachain Pharm Products LLC, Seth Stochmeister

Solomon Cultivation Corporation, Jacqueline Solomon

Mahoning River Corridor Pharm LLC, Ryan Cene

CannAscend Ohio LLC, Brian Depew

Canna Euclid LLC, Paul King

Ohio Releaf, LLC, Randy Smith

Piedmont MedMar LLC, Jeffrey W. Rozier

Exclusive article by Alan Brochstein, CFA Facebook | LinkedIn | Email Based in Houston, Alan leverages his experience as founder of online communities 420 Investor , the first and still largest due diligence platform focused on the publicly-traded stocks in the cannabis industry. With his extensive network in the cannabis community, Alan continues to find new ways to connect the industry and facilitate its sustainable growth. At New Cannabis Ventures , he is responsible for content development and strategic alliances. Before shifting his focus to the cannabis industry in early 2013, Alan, who began his career on Wall Street in 1986, worked as an independent research analyst following over two decades in research and portfolio management. A prolific writer, with over 650 articles published since 2007 at Seeking Alpha , where he has 70,000 followers, Alan is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and a frequent source to the media, including the NY Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fox Business, and Bloomberg TV. Contact Alan: Twitter