After months of delays, medical marijuana is finally coming to Ohio.
Wednesday, four dispensaries around the state are set to open at 9 a.m. on the first day that medical pot becomes legal under state law. While none of the four dispensaries are in the Cincinnati area, residents can expect others to follow shortly.
The four opening are Cresco Labs CY + Dispensary and Ohio Valley Natural Relief LLC, both in Winterville, just outside of Steubenville, The Botanist in Canton and The Forest in Sandusky.
Those looking to purchase the medicinal herb must receive the go-ahead from a licensed physician.
Edibles won’t be available yet, but other forms of medicinal marijuana — oils, tinctures, patches and so forth — will be. Ohio law still prohibits smoking marijuana, so sparking up won’t be an option.
However, you may not want to rush to the stores just yet. With only four stores opening, they may have a tough time meeting the demands of those 3,500 people who’ve already been issued cards by the state.
Long lines can be expected tomorrow, as well as limits on how much product can be purchased at a time. According to the Akron Beacon Journal, there are still thousands waiting to get medical cards, which will eventually flood the demand on the market even more.
This article appears in Jan 9-16, 2019.