First days of legal medical cannabis sales in Ohio

Legal sales of medical cannabis began Wednesday in Ohio. On the very first day, the state’s four dispensaries sold $75,000 worth of medical cannabis. Medical cannabis was officially legalized in 2016 and the law required that the program be operational by September 8, 2018. However, disputes and issues regarding the licensing agreement have delayed its implementation. Patients have been waiting for nearly 33 months for the drug to be made available on the market. To purchase medical cannabis, they must have one of the 21 conditions listed by law, a recommendation from a healthcare provider, and must have previously registered with the government.

Controlled marketing

The clinics have decided to implement purchase limits to prevent being cleaned out and facing shortages right from the start. The only one that decided not to do so is Natural Relief, a dispensary located in the Ohio Valley in Wintersville. At CY+, also located in Wintersville and owned by Cresco Labs—a company that operates in other states as well—sales are limited to 2 ounces (or 56 grams) per person for the first week. A The Forest At the location in Sandusky, purchases are limited to 1 ounce (28 grams). As for The Botanist In Guangzhou, the purchase limit is set at 14.2 grams, which is equivalent to 5 daily units (with one daily unit being 2.8 grams).

Technically, in the state of Ohio, medical cannabis is permitted in various forms, such as edibles, oils, and patches. Since Ohio has still not granted the necessary licenses for the processing of medical cannabis and the extraction of THC For the production of these types of products, only cannabis flowers are currently available for sale. However, since smoking cannabis (and growing it at home) is prohibited, patients will have to vape it. For now, prices are significantly high: they range from 40 to 60$ for 2.8 grams of flowers. Veterans receive a 20% discount.