Stores can begin to sell recreational cannabis

FREMONT — Medical marijuana stores across Erie County and in Fremont are expected to begin selling recreational marijuana soon, possibly as early as before the July 4 weekend. The period for medical dispensaries to apply to sell recreational weed began Friday. And officials at The Forest Dispensary in Perkins Township, and Terrasana Cannabis in Fremont confirmed they are trying to move as soon as possible to be approved. Firelands Scientific also confirmed it is applying for a dual-use license for its dispensary in Huron and for the other dispensaries it owns in Ohio. The Huron location, in an industrial park, also includes a cultivation facility. Scientific owns medical dispensaries in Columbus, Cincinnati, Monroe and Cleveland, which operate under the name The Landing. Officials at Ascend Cannabis, in Perkins Township, did not respond to repeated requests for comment. The company owns many recreational and medical dispensaries in Ohio, Michigan, Maryland, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. When could it happen? Ohio voters approved marijuana sales in a referendum last fall. Because of this, recreational marijuana sales will be open to anyone 21 or older who can produce a valid ID to show proof of age. While state officials have refused to offer a date when recreational marijuana sales are likely to begin, Emily Davenport, the general manager of The Forest, told the Register she believes officials at the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control will move quickly to approve applications. "What I'm hearing is it's absolutely going to be here before the 4th of July weekend," Davenport said. Terrasana Cannabis owns several medical marijuana stores in Ohio, including Cleveland, Columbus, Springfield and Fremont. The company's director of marketing, Nikki Stanley, also expects the state to move quickly and said it's believed inspections of dispensaries will begin the week of June 17, a necessary step before dual-use approval. "We are planning for sales to start soon," Stanley said. Nate Darling, director of marketing for Firelands Scientific, cautions that nobody really knows when recreational sales will start. "We welcome a timely rollout of the program," he said. State officials have turned to existing medical marijuana stores as the fastest way to make marijuana legally available for sale, as the stores are already regulated by the state. Gov. Mike DeWine and other state officials want sales to begin soon to provide an alternative to the black market. "Currently, there are 126 medical marijuana dispensaries operating throughout the state plus six that have only provisional licenses," said Jamie Crawford, a spokesman for the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control. It's expected that most will seek licenses to sell recreational cannabis, too, Crawford said. "The Division of Cannabis Control expects most of its licensees in the Medical Marijuana Control Program to seek a conversion of their medical license to dual-use so they can participate in the non-medical market," Crawford said. "A dual-use certificate of operation must be obtained by a medical marijuana licensee before they can sell non-medical cannabis. This includes all license types: cultivators, processors, testing laboratories and dispensaries." Davenport said that back in 2019, The Forest opened Ohio's first medical marijuana dispensary on Tiffin Avenue in Sandusky. The store shifted to the more visible location on U.S. 250, along Erie County's main retail area, in anticipation of recreational marijuana being legalized, Davenport said. "Location is everything," Davenport said. Preparations begin Davenport said she expects The Forest to have an adequate supply when recreational sales are approved. Suppliers have been gearing up, she said. At the same time, Davenport and Stanley said they expect prices in Ohio to be relatively high at first. Prices have fallen in Michigan but that occurred after the state had a legal market for years. There may be a supply constraint at first on flower, although the situation with edibles is expected to be easier, Stanley said. Many of the vendors that supply marijuana outlets have stopped offering discounts, she said. Darling said the Firelands Scientific growing facility in Huron has been trying to prepare to meet the new recreational market. "We're certainly expecting a very large increase in demand," he said. The door eventually will open for other marijuana dispensaries to open in Ohio in addition to the current medical marijuana dispensaries, but Ohio apparently isn't in a big hurry. The law, approved by Ohio voters, called for the dual-use licenses to be issued first, and those are the only applications that opened up Friday, Crawford said, who explained the process: • "As for those who are not currently licensed, the initiated statute does not provide for any other licensing applications to be opened to the public initially." • "Following 24 months from the first date of issuance of a non-medical cannabis operator license, the (state) must review the number of licenses on a biannual basis, at which time it may authorize additional licenses to be applied for and issued." • "In addition, as outlined in the voter-passed initiated statute, the Cannabis Social Equity and Jobs program will be established and managed by the Ohio Department of Development and any questions about the program would be best directed to that agency."