Four different medical marijuana dispensaries are set to open for business at 9 a.m. Wednesday. Two are in the Eastern Ohio town of Wintersville, while others are in Sandusky and Canton.
The supply of medical marijuana will be limited at first, and the only form of the product likely to be available in the beginning is marijuana buds. Those require patients to use a vaporizer, also being sold in dispensaries, to take in the plant.
Smoking marijuana outright is not allowed under Ohio law. But medical marijuana is expected to be available in ointments, creams, and edible forms in the future as processors ramp up their businesses.
The opening of these businesses has been long anticipated by many Ohioans, who hoped to get medical marijuana months ago. Jason Erkes of Cresco Labs, the group operating one of the Wintersville businesses, says that day is finally here.
“Our phone has been ringing off the hook. We have been getting emails from a number of patients for weeks that have been anticipating the opening so we expect a big crowd," Erkes said.
Ohio's medical marijuana program was supposed to be fully operational on September 8, 2018. But between the state running into problems scoring of applicants, and licensing delays preventing vendors from building sites, the timeline was forced back months.
Only registered patients or their caregivers who received recommendations from a certified doctor will be available to get the product. The substance can be recommended for 21 qualifying medical conditions.
As of December 31, 2018, 4,964 recommendations had been logged in the state's Patient and Caregiver Registry and of those, 3,575 had activated their registry cards.
