COLUMBUS, Ohio — Multiple Ohio dispensaries have confirmed to NBC4 that they have the green light to start selling recreational marijuana on Tuesday, but some caveats for customers apply.
As of Monday, Sunnyside Dispensaries — a subsidiary of Cresco Labs — had announced the earliest opening time of 7 a.m. at its Cincinnati shop, likely securing the first legal sale of recreational marijuana in Ohio. Three of its other storefronts in Chillicothe, Marion and Wintersville will all open at 9 a.m.
Sunnyside and other dispensaries have been waiting for this day for months, with only a certificate of operation standing in the way of sales starting. Cresco planted the state’s inaugural crop of recreational marijuana in May at its Yellow Springs growing facility, and the sales launch comes conveniently after staff harvested the crop in July, according to Chief Communications Officer Jason Erkes.
Several central Ohio dispensaries, including the Landing OH in Columbus and Trulieve in Westerville, have also announced plans to sell recreationally beginning Tuesday. These and other companies’ opening times lean toward 10 a.m.
Which dispensaries will be selling recreational?
On Monday, the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control confirmed 98 dispensaries would receive certificates of operation and be allowed to sell recreationally on Tuesday. Search a for a city in the chart below to see which ones are nearby.
Potential turnout
Sunnyside and other dispensaries are expecting a large crowd to show up on Tuesday, and the supply side took that into account. Erkes previously told NBC4 just how much marijuana his team’s first crop would provide.
“The 400 pounds of flower that these plants in this room today will produce, is equivalent to 65,000 Ohio tenths, which is the way cannabis is sold here,” Erkes said.
On Friday, Erkes spoke again with NBC4 about launch day, and what recreational customers can expect going inside a dispensary for the first time. He said Sunnyside trained its staff in advance to “make sure we can handle the crowd flow.”
“There’s no glass jars and bare hands going in to pull out a bud. Everything is prepackaged and child safety sealed, much like you’d see walking down the aisle of a Rite Aid or a Walgreens pharmacy,” Erkes said.
Marijuana purchase limit
When voters passed Issue 2, it legalized the use and possession of marijuana recreationally. The ballot initiative’s language also added a limit for legal possession up to 2.5 ounces of recreational cannabis. This could also serve as a cap on how much a customer would be allowed to purchase at dispensaries on Tuesday, since selling any amount more than 2.5 ounces would mean the buyer now possesses an illegal amount.
Ordering recreational marijuana online
The state’s medical marijuana program does allow patients to order products online for pickup at dispensaries, and OhioStateCannabis.org maintains a list of dispensaries offering this method.
Some states with more mature recreational programs, including Michigan and Illinois, do allow online orders for recreational marijuana with dispensary pickup. Erkes didn’t specify if Sunnyside would allow recreational customers to do the same on launch day. However, he did mention that customers perusing an online menu in advance may help potentially long lines at the store stay moving.
“It would be very helpful if you went to a website like ours, sunnyside.shop, and took a look at the products that are available,” Erkes said. “So you have an idea of what the consumption method you might want is and what you’re looking to buy.”
Several states including Michigan, California, Colorado and Oregon among others also allow delivery on marijuana products, according to the Cannabis Business Times. However, Ohio Administrative Code already bans medical marijuana delivery. As of Monday, Ohio has not laid out any framework for dual-use dispensaries to offer this service for either type.
This story was published by NBC4
