COLUMBUS, Ohio — Medicinal marijuana dispensaries can now start applying for their recreational marijuana license.
The Ohio Division of Cannabis Control will be approving the applications. The division's spokesperson said they expect a quick turnaround this summer because of the foundation and checks already in place for the medical marijuana program.
Once a dispensary's application is approved, it will be up to that business to decide when they want to start selling recreationally to adults.
The division plans to review applications roughly in the order they are received. At this time, only facilities already licensed through the medical marijuana program in Ohio will be able to apply for recreational or dual-use permits.
Ali Bazzi, managing partner of the Nar Reserve dispensary in Columbus, said he has hired additional staff and products and hopes they can keep up with the demand once their recreational sales start.
"The pros are we go from 140,000 medical users up to 2 million adult use users," Bazzi said. "As long as we can compete with neighboring states and cut that out where people are traveling to buy and we can provide the product at a reasonable price, I think business will continue to grow."
The division has a map on its website of all 126 medical marijuana shops in the state and once a permit is issued, the division will include recreational shops to this list as well.
Ohioans voted to legalize recreational marijuana in November and Bazzi said he hopes to start selling recreationally this summer.
A division spokesperson said their primary goal is to get to a place where Ohio adults can safely and legally purchase non-medical cannabis and ensure dangerous unregulated products such as Delta 8 are removed from circulation.
Bazzi said he is looking forward to helping with this mission. "Our product is all tested, it's grown the proper way, it's not laced with anything so you know people are going to smoke, why don't we provide them with the safe way to do it? The black market is big in Ohio, this will help to eliminate the black market."
The division anticipates a majority of the 126 dispensaries will apply for a dual-use permit.