Yesterday marked the official launch of adult-use cannabis sales in Ohio, some eight months after it was first made legal.
Nearly 100 cannabis dispensaries were given the final green light to open their doors to the public in Ohio on Tuesday, (August 06), after the state regulator, the Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) issued a second batch of dual-licenses to dispensaries that day.
Some stores, like those operated across Ohio by Curaleaf, Acreage Holdings and Ayr Wellness began sales immediately, while other operators are expected to launch later in the week.
Acreage Holdings, which opened five stores in Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Columbus and Wickliffe under its brand, The Botanist, said it has been preparing for this ‘historic day’ for some time.
“Acreage Holdings has served Ohio’s patients since medical cannabis sales first began on January 16, 2019, and we are proud to be among the first to open our doors for non-medical sales on this historic day,” Kate Ols, Executive VP of the Midwest Acreage said.
“We’ve readied our staff and product inventory to serve an influx of patients and 21+ consumers across all five The Botanist dispensary locations beginning at 8:30 AM on Tuesday, and look forward to participating in Ohio’s newly hybrid market.”
While stores across the state reported busier than expected business throughout the day, with lines forming outside dispensaries and some customers even staying overnight in their cars, initiatives from companies like The Botanist which set up outdoor kiosks meant wait times were generally low.
Curaleaf, which has been operating as a medical cannabis dispensary in Ohio for some time, also began selling adult-use cannabis at its dispensary in Newark, and expects to open its medical cannabis store in Cuyahoga Falls to adult-use customers ‘at a later date, pending regulatory approval’.
Curaleaf’s CEO Matt Darin said: “We have been eagerly anticipating the opportunity to serve a new community of Ohioians, and are thrilled to be a part of the first group of operators to kick off adult-use sales in the state.
“We firmly believe that Ohio has the potential to be one of the nation’s most exciting cannabis markets and have prepared for this moment by increasing cultivation capacity and prioritizing flower availability to accommodate the launch.
“Having effectively transitioned several medical markets to adult-use, we look forward to introducing the state’s adult-use consumers to our carefully curated brand and product collection to help them find the best-suited products to meet their diverse needs. Thanks to state leadership and the voters of Ohio, we now begin the process of building a new market that supports adult-use and medical customers alike.”
Ayr Wellness also opened three adult-use dispensary locations in Woodmere, Goshen and Dayton.
Its Senior Vice President for Ohio, Julie Winter, added: “The launch of adult-use cannabis sales in Ohio provides an excellent opportunity to expand access to new customers through our growing dispensary network in the Buckeye State.
“The people of Ohio spoke loudly with an overwhelming passage of Issue 2 back in November, making it clear that there is a strong appetite for tested and trusted cannabis products throughout the state. We now look forward to supporting our partners as they serve people of Ohio across the three AYR-branded dispensaries in the state as well as our robust wholesale presence.”
As Business of Cannabis reported earlier this week, after voting to legalize adult-use cannabis last November, the DCC has focused primarily on issuing licenses to cultivators, processors and testing labs, meaning that Ohians have remained unable to purchase cannabis commercially through a dispensary.
In an effort to speed up the transition to an adult-use market, the DCC opted to issue ‘dual licenses’, or ‘certificates of operation’ (COOs), which enable existing medical cannabis businesses to begin selling commercially.
Around 230 dual-license applications have been submitted to the DCC so far, with 155 already receiving ‘provisional’ approval. The regulator must approve or deny all license applications by September 07.
