Recreational marijuana sales begin in Ohio

Boston Grunkemeyer lined up in front of Amplify Dispensary’s Columbus location around 9:45 Tuesday morning and was the store’s first recreational marijuana customer.

He doesn’t have a medical marijuana card, but has anxiety and depression.

“It’s kind of nice to be able to go towards this if I need to, but also it’s gonna be fun just to be able to enjoy myself with my friends,” Grunkemeyer said.

Tuesday has been a long time coming — 57% of Ohioans voted to legalize recreational marijuana in November but there has been nowhere to legally purchase it. Until now. 

“It’s incredibly exciting to be able to launch a program that is ahead of schedule, that will be thoughtfully regulated and will ensure that Ohio cannabis consumers no longer have to drive to Michigan or resort to the unregulated market,” Ohio Cannabis Coalition Spokesperson Tom Haren said. 

The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Cannabis Control gave 98 dispensaries the green light to start selling recreational marijuana by giving them their certificates of operation. Ten Columbus dispensaries, eight Cincinnati dispensaries, and five Cleveland dispensaries received their certificates of operation on Tuesday. 

“However, the issuance of COOs does not necessarily mean non-medical sales will begin immediately at every dispensary, as each licensee must determine when they will start sales based on factors including staffing, stock and other business considerations,” the DCC said in a statement. 

The DCC plans on awarding certificates of operations to all the remaining eligible dispensaries later this week, according to the division. 

Certificates are issued “roughly” in the order when completed applications were received by the division and when compliances were fulfilled, according to the division. 

Recreational sales are actually ahead of schedule since the division had until Sept. 7 to approve or deny a license application.

“A big reason we were able to get to this point ahead of the Sept. 7 deadline was due to the foundation laid through the state’s existing Medical Marijuana Control Program,” DCC Superintendent James Canepa said in a statement. “Since existing licensees had already met stringent requirements of that program, we anticipated this process to be rather smooth. They had already undergone many of the comprehensive checks as part of that process.”

Amplify Dispensary

Jerika Tieman was excited to be able to buy weed without needing a medical marijuana card.

“It’s been a long time coming,” she said, standing outside Amplify before the store opened.

She previously had a medical marijuana card but didn’t renew it due to costs. The registration fee for medical marijuana was eliminated earlier this year, but it was previously $50, DCC spokesperson James Crawford said in an email.

“It is a hugely monumental day,” said Amplify’s Digital Brand Manager Cole Wallis. “We’re part of a change, and a change for good, which feels super, and we’re happy to be a part of it. I’m just excited to see it unfold.”

They doubled their staff at their Columbus location in anticipation for recreational sales to start, and have two other locations in Cleveland Heights and in Bedford.

Trulieve

Trulieve expected to see between 500-600 people at one of their Columbus locations on Tuesday — about triple their average number, said Nick Rassler, their director of state operations.

Trulieve has three locations in Ohio — two in the Columbus-area and one near Dayton. 

They normally open around nine or ten in the morning, but opened their doors at 7 a.m. this morning. Their line started forming at 6:30 a.m. 

“It’s a huge deal for the industry as well and just cannabis in general,” Rassler said. “There’s people who just didn’t have a qualifying condition, but may have still had a need for the product. It’s a great alternative for them, it helps them feel the way they want to feel.”

Medical Marijuana Program

Both Amplify and Trulieve are prioritizing their medical marijuana patients and had different lines for medical and non-medical customers. 

Medical marijuana patients don’t have to pay excise tax on the product.

“I would like to see it coexist peacefully, which I think we can get to that point,” Amplify Columbus’ General Manager Alissa Baker said.

Haren said there will be enough medical marijuana supply to meet demand. 

“By rule, the supply side will be there to match the demand, whatever it is,” he said. “If the demand shrinks, then you know, there will be less inventory, sort of held for medical patients. But if the demand stays where it is, we will continue to have product at dispensaries in order to meet that demand. And so it’s flexible from a regulatory perspective.”  

This story was originally published by the Ohio Capital Journal