In what’s believed to be a first for the U.S. medical marijuana industry, Ohio regulators have awarded a contract to a private company for an MMJ patient call center.

The three-year contract went to Direct Success, an Ohio-based company that has two subsidiaries working in the ancillary cannabis field.

The contract is worth $1.1 million, company spokesman Steve De Jacimo said.

Direct Success owns Extra Step Assurance, which will run the Ohio call center, and Cannabis Expertise, which currently contracts separately with four state governments to help educate physicians who want to recommend MMJ for patients.

The Ohio call center – likely the first of its kind nationwide – will launch in the second quarter of 2018, according to Direct Success.

The company will make live operators available six days a week to answer questions about MMJ for Ohio residents on topics ranging from legal issues to medical applications of cannabis.