Dispensary: Recreational marijuana possibly on sale this week

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio medical marijuana dispensaries that applied to also sell adult-use recreational marijuana could start selling to customers as early as this week.

The application process opened on June 7 and closes on Sept. 7. Once a company gets its license, it can begin recreational sales.

Jason Vedadi, CEO of Story Cannabis, which has several dispensaries in Ohio and five other states, said he expects recreational cannabis sales to boom in Ohio. He called the medical marijuana market “very modest” throughout the state because it’s harder to get a medical card in Ohio than in surrounding states like Michigan.

See 56 places in Ohio that have banned recreational marijuana businesses

With sales starting soon, his biggest concern is whether or not there’s enough product in stock.

“I think we have a fair amount, but I don’t think we have enough to actually kind of deal with the masses,” Vedadi said. “It’s possible that they’re just run out like some of the stores, just run out of product and they don’t have, you know, maybe what they want. I mean, if I was a medical customer, I go to a store and I, you know, I try to say, like, ‘I’ve been a loyal customer, please reserve this amount for me for this long.’”

Vedadi said he’s been told recreational cannabis will roll out in Ohio by this Friday, but the state has not given a specific date.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.