Sandusky's medical marijuana shop opening 'within days'

SANDUSKY — The operation has sprouted, and workers are ready to begin growing a customer base from their Sandusky headquarters.Management representing The Forest Sandusky, 1651 Tiffin Ave. (U.S. 6), hosted a media-only event Friday afternoon to show off their medical marijuana dispensary and explain what people can expect."We are thrilled to announce that we are within days of opening our doors to be able to serve patients here," company CEO Erik Vaughan said during the press conference. "It's been a long time coming for patients in Ohio to have access to this relief."The Forest Sandusky management — marketing director Kara Lambert and Erik Vaughan — answer questions about the medical marijuana facility in Sandusky on Friday, Jan. 11, 2019. Qualifying patients can purchase medical marijuana to treat one of 21 pre-existing conditions, such as cancer. The Forest Sandusky in June received one of 56 coveted state licenses for a business to legally sell cannabis. This marks the only dispensary in Sandusky, and there are only two in Erie County. A facility in Huron hasn't yet started construction work.A dispensary allows patients suffering from one of 21 pre-existing health conditions approved by the state pharmacy board — such as ALS, Alzheimer's, cancer, Parkinson's, HIV and more — to purchase medical marijuana in the form of flowers, vapors, tinctures, patches, edibles, oils and other legal substances. In Ohio, it remains illegal for people to smoke marijuana."This is something that over 90 percent of Ohioans are in favor of: medical marijuana overseen by their physicians," Vaughan said. "I dare you to find something else that 90 percent of Ohioans agree on."Sample packages for medical marijuana products sit on the shelves at The Forest Sandusky during a media event on Friday, Jan. 11, 2019. Upon opening, qualifying patients can purchase cannabis from there — it's located at 1651 Tiffin Ave. (U.S. 6) in Sandusky — to treat one of 21 pre-existing conditions, such as cancer. Before buying medical marijuana, people must first obtain a recommendation, acting similar to a prescription, from a certified doctor.As of Friday afternoon, only The Forest Sandusky and a facility in Wintersville, near the Pennsylvania border, successfully underwent a state-certified inspection — the second-to-last major precursor before a dispensary can open. Neither dispensary operation, however, has been issued its certificate of operation — the final precursor — but should within a week's time.It's entirely possible, then, Sandusky could become Ohio's first location to debut a functional dispensary. When it does, people can step inside from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily."We love Sandusky," Vaughan said. "Sandusky has been incredibly supportive and forward-thinking and understanding in how important this is not only for the citizens of Sandusky but those in surrounding areas. It's also where a lot of Ohioans come to in the summer months. The Lake Erie islands is a big draw. We couldn't be happier."The Forest Sandusky, 1651 Tiffin Ave. (U.S. 6), in Sandusky is located across from Dollar General. The medical marijuana facility should open "within days," according to company CEO Erik Vaughan.In rapid-fire fashion, Vaughan fielded many inquiries from journalists. Among some highlights from the 30-minute question-and-answer session:The products: "Out of the gate, we will have flower-only (products) available to patients to be vaporized. In the spring, we will have a broader array of other products from Standard Wellness (The Forest Sandusky's sister company, which grows medical marijuana in Gibsonburg) like lotions and capsules. Our Standard Wellness products won't be available until a little bit later in the spring, so we will be selling products from other cultivators and, eventually, other processors. All products will be produced here in the state of Ohio for Ohio patients."The quality assurance: "This is new to Ohio. But it's not new across the country. There are, I believe, 32 states that have medical marijuana laws. Ohio was the 25th state to legalize it. So we have been able to learn from the launches and operations in all of the other states. What Ohio has done a great job of is setting up a testing system where all the product at Standard Wellness or any other cultivator or processor is sent to one of the six testing labs that have been approved by the state. The third-party testing is a requirement before any product leaves any of the production facilities in the state."The Forest Sandusky is the first and only medical marijuana dispensary in Sandusky. "We love Sandusky," company CEO Erik Vaughan said. "Sandusky has been incredibly supportive and forward-thinking and understanding in how important this is not only for the citizens of Sandusky but those in surrounding areas." The patients: "There are 4,500 patients in the state now. We expect that number to ramp up to about 200,000 over the next three years."The price range: "Pricing is going to vary widely based on the product and availability. Data from other states shows you end up with an $88 per transaction average. Some folks will be spending much less than that."The out-of-pocket expense: "Unfortunately, this will not be covered by insurance at this time."When patients enter The Forest Sandusky, 1651 Tiffin Ave. (U.S. 6), they'll consult with trained professionals versed in medical marijuana to understand the best types of products, and how to consume them, to purchase in hopes of curing a pre-existing condition, such as cancerThe limitations: "There are 90-day limits on what any individual patient can purchase. As close to real time as we can, our sales system connects with the Ohio automated prescription recording system. So we can tell, within minutes, how much a patient has purchased not just from our dispensary but from other dispensaries to avoid any sort of dispensing mistakes."The verification: "When (patients) come into our facility, they will bring their patients card and their ID. We will verify they are indeed in the patient registry at which time they'll be welcomed back here into this beautiful room where they will have a one-on-one consultation with one of our dispensary professionals."The doctors: "There are 350 (physicians) in the state currently registered."Note: Visit medicalmarijuana.ohio.gov/physicians for a full listing of physicians who can distribute medical marijuana recommendations.Erik Vaughan, CEO of The Forest Sandusky, speaks with journalists during a media-only event at the medical marijuana dispensary on Friday, Jan. 11, 2019. Qualifying patients can purchase medical marijuana from there, 1651 Tiffin Ave. (U.S. 6) to treat one of 21 pre-existing conditions, such as cancer.The security: "For security purposes, we don't share details about our security plan, but I can tell you anyone that was able to obtain one of those (dispensary) licenses meets the absolute highest standard in terms of making patients not only feel safe but be safe."The employees: "We invest quite a bit of training for our professionals. It's important for the patient's experience to know they can come in and speak with someone who is very well-educated and well-trained on cannabis and the different products we have and the wide array of consumption methods and how that interacts with the 21 different qualifying conditions."Erik Vaughan, CEO of The Forest Sandusky, speaks with journalists during a media-only event at the medical marijuana dispensary on Friday, Jan. 11, 2019. Qualifying patients can purchase medical marijuana from there, 1651 Tiffin Ave. (U.S. 6) to treat one of 21 pre-existing conditions, such as cancer. The benefits: "We have enough data and sample size to see that there is measurable drop in the doses of addicted opiates that are prescribed in states that have medical marijuana. You are seeing not only a drop in doses but a drop in deaths in those states."The unknown: "There is a fear factor with anything new. It takes a lot of outgoing engagement with the community. It's all about education. That is really where we focus on trying to make sure everyone understands the level of professionalism in this industry."The Forest Sandusky, 1651 Tiffin Ave. (U.S. 6), in Sandusky is located across from Dollar General. The medical marijuana facility should open "within days," according to company CEO Erik Vaughan.Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.