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Ohio adult-use marijuana sales have officially launched across the state, with multiple dispensaries now open to serve medical cannabis patients and recreational consumers. And one of the first customers was a Republican state legislator who purchased a Willie Nelson-branded product.<\/p>\n
As of Tuesday, the Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) has issued certificates of operation to about 100 marijuana shops. Not all of the approved dispensaries have opened their doors, but multiple businesses\u2014including multi-state operators such as Cresco Labs, AYR Wellness and Curaleaf\u2014are ready for business.<\/p>\n
Rep. Jamie Callender (R), who\u2019s sponsored legislation to legalize marijuana in Ohio<\/a>, was among those to first take advantage of the legal market, purchasing Willie\u2019s Reserve products on opening day.<\/p>\n State Rep. @JamieCallender<\/a>, the marijuana-enthusiast Republican who I\u2019ve been covering throughout the legalization process, was the VERY first sale.<\/p>\n He got @WilliesReserve<\/a>, grown in Eastlake, Ohio.@WEWS<\/a> @scrippsnews<\/a> @WCPO<\/a> @OhioCapJournal<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/aSe2Hs9uKz<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Morgan Trau (@MorganTrau) August 6, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n DCC announced on Monday that it would be issuing 98 initial certificates of operation to existing medical marijuana dispensaries that applied for dual licenses so they can also serve the recreational market. This comes about a month ahead of a deadline to approve hybrid shops after voters approved legalization at the ballot last November.<\/p>\n \u201cA big reason we were able to get to this point ahead of the Sept. 7 deadline was due to the foundation laid through the state\u2019s existing Medical Marijuana Control Program,\u201d DCC Superintendent James Canepa said in a press release on Monday. \u201cSince existing licensees had already met stringent requirements of that program, we anticipated this process to be rather smooth. They had already undergone many of the comprehensive checks as part of that process.\u201d<\/p>\n HISTORY MADE: 7:04 marks a legal recreational marijuana sale at Sunnyside in Columbia Township Ohio.<\/p>\n The first customer got in line last night at 6:20 for this moment. <\/p>\n \u201cFinally, finally recreational,\u201d he said@wlwt<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/ZwOd2ue2jY<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Danielle Dindak (@danielledindak) August 6, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n DCC said that dispensaries with provisional dual licenses that haven\u2019t obtained a certificate of operation likely submitted incomplete applications that will need to be resolved before they can start serving patients and adult consumers.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the non-medical cannabis market opens, the Division will continue to review and approve those 10(B) dispensary, or bonus licenses, for which eligible licensees have been able to apply with regard to additional locations,\u201d Canepa\u00a0said<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSince those additional sites will take time to construct, inspect and receive Certificates of Operation, we anticipate that, over the coming months and years, those 10(B) dispensaries will become operational,\u201d he said. \u201cAs required by the initiated statute, come September 2026, the Division will evaluate demand and access data to determine incremental growth and locations for additional licensees in the state. Our Division is committed to continuing our work in developing and proposing rules to help ensure the cannabis industry in Ohio remains safe and secure.\u201d<\/p>\n State regulators confirmed last week that they were prepared to clear select businesses to open\u00a0following inspections ensuring compliance with the state\u2019s legalization law<\/a>.<\/p>\n DCC also created an online\u00a0map<\/a>\u00a0where adult-use consumers can view a list of approved dispensaries.<\/p>\n\n Kim Rivers, CEO of the multi-state operator Trulieve, said in a press release that the company is \u201cproud to celebrate the launch of adult use sales in the Buckeye State alongside Ohioans who have been waiting for this day since last November.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are thankful to our medical patients who have been with us since we entered Ohio, and we look forward to serving adult use customers as the state\u2019s cannabis market continues to grow,\u201d she said<\/a>.<\/p>\n John Hartmann, CEO of Ascend, similarly said the organization is proud to \u201cannounce the start of the transition of our Ohio stores to accommodate non-medical customers\u201d and \u201cexcited about the new opportunities this brings to both Ascend and the communities we serve\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are well-positioned to serve both segments of the market, maintaining our commitment to our current medical patients while embracing new non-medical customers. We are committed to responsibly meeting the evolving needs of our patients and customers and dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of safety, compliance and quality,\u201d he said<\/a>. \u201cThis milestone is a testament to the hard work of our team and the trust our community places in us, and we look forward to continuing to serve them with product and service excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n Kate Ols, executive vice president of\u00a0 Acreage\u2019s Ohio operations said, said they\u2019re \u201cthrilled to be at the forefront of Ohio\u2019s long-awaited transition into a non-medical cannabis market.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs proud members of the Ohio cannabis community, we remain committed to reducing the impact of the illicit market by providing increased access to safe, reliable high-quality cannabis products,\u201d Ols said<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ahead of the launch,\u00a0regulators recently distributed supplemental guidance on the rules<\/a>\u00a0for opening day events, advertising and more.<\/p>\n Prior to the retailer licensing development, DCC started issuing the state\u2019s first dual certificates of operation for marijuana growers, processors and testing labs in recent weeks so they could begin working with both medical and recreational cannabis.<\/p>\n One way that the division prepared prospective dual licensees on the retail end was by reminding them of what they can and can\u2019t do to mark their opening day. For example, businesses cannot allow on-site consumption, offer samples (infused or non-infused), have music or food trucks outside the shop, promote the opening with celebratory decor on the exterior or hold a ribbon cutting ceremony outside.<\/p>\n However, they are permitted to have music inside as long as it\u2019s not a live performance. They can also offer complimentary non-alcoholic beverages and promote the opening by holding a ribbon cutting ceremony inside the dispensary.<\/p>\n Before a dispensary could secure a certification, applicants that received a provisional licenses needed to first prove that they\u2019ve updated their point-of-sale technology to distinguish between medical cannabis and adult-use sales, enhance security and verify that they will be able to maintain an adequate supply for patients.<\/p>\n Before opening applications, regulators\u00a0released informational materials to prepare prospective applicants<\/a>, outlining regulatory requirements they must satisfy in order to be eligible for the hybrid license.<\/p>\n Applications for the dual licenses opened about a month after the legislature\u2019s Joint Committee On Agency Rule Review (JCARR)\u00a0gave final approval to the proposed cannabis regulations for the adult-use market<\/a>\u00a0under the legalization law voters passed last November.<\/p>\n Gov. Mike DeWine (R) doesn\u2019t personally support legalization, but he\u2019s\u00a0repeatedly criticized the delay in access to regulated products<\/a>\u00a0since voters made that choice and possession became legal in December.<\/p>\n Legislative leaders had separately discussed putting together a bill to make various changes to the law, including expediting sales, but the plans have largely fallen apart amid disagreement within the GOP-controlled legislature.<\/p>\n The Senate\u00a0did pass an amendment package just prior to legalization taking effect<\/a>, but the House has not taken it up, nor has it moved to advance a different proposal that originate in the House. Senators also recently filed a separate\u00a0bill\u00a0to change various marijuana rules.<\/p>\n \u2014 Meanwhile, as regulators have worked to finalize regulations for the adult-use market, it already implemented a change in February that allows medical marijuana patients and caregivers to\u00a0obtain or renew their registrations for only one penny<\/a>. That fee was then totally eliminated with the adoption of a new rule at May\u2019s JCARR meeting.<\/p>\n The fee elimination is\u00a0part of an initial package of rules that DCC released in February<\/a>\u00a0to implement adult-use legalization.<\/p>\n Following voter approval of legalization at the ballot, the Department of Commerce was quick to publish an FAQ guide\u00a0for residents to learn about the new law and timeline for implementation<\/a>.<\/p>\n The governor, meanwhile, has previously pressed the legislature to enact changes to expedite recreational marijuana sales. But he\u2019s indicated that his more immediate concern is\u00a0regulating the sale of intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids such as delta-8 THC<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is time for the legislature to move,\u201d the governor, who also\u00a0raised the issue during his State of the State address in April<\/a>, said. \u201cWe can\u2019t do it ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n 80 Bipartisan Lawmakers Push FDA To Seriously Consider Approving MDMA-Assisted Therapy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Photo courtesy of WeedPornDaily<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n The post GOP Ohio Lawmaker Among First To Buy Legal Marijuana As Market Launches, Choosing Willie Nelson Brand<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Ohio adult-use marijuana sales have officially launched across the state, with multiple dispensaries now open to serve medical cannabis patients and recreational consumers. And one of the first customers was a Republican state legislator who purchased a Willie Nelson-branded product. As of Tuesday, the Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) hasContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":77242,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77241"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77241"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77241\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77243,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77241\/revisions\/77243"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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\nRead More: GOP Ohio Lawmaker Among First To Buy Legal Marijuana As Market Launches, Choosing Willie Nelson Brand<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"