TOLEDO, Ohio — Lucas County will have five medical marijuana facilities within greater Toledo after the Wyld Skye dispensary celebrates its grand opening in west Toledo Friday.
The new business, where Jed's Restaurant used to be by the Dorr Street and North Byrne Road intersection, will also be the first of the five area facilities to feature a drive-through window.
David Kwyer, the owner of the Naan Stop Kebap food truck that serves customers in the parking lot of the nightclub The Golden Road, said he's not upset about a dispensary moving in next door.
"I've kind of been anticipating their opening," Kwyer said. "I feel like it's going to be good for this little area. Particularly for the bar, their clientele, I think, kind of overlaps a little bit."
The traffic on Dorr Street is loud and busy, but inside Wyld Skye, it's calm and quiet. Facility representative Taeya Sherman said the business had a soft open and has already seen a few customers.
"I definitely do feel like we're here making a difference," Sherman said.
And when the time comes for the big day on Friday, she said the business is ready.
"We have the flower, the bud that people are used to," Sherman said. We have ointments, oils, topicals, edibles, candies, gummies, things like that. Different tinctures are sublingual, and your regular vapes, that pretty much everyone is used to."
Wyld Skye Security Guard CJ Cobb said any naysayers should stop by and see the facility. He said there's more to the medical marijuana business than many think.
"It's not just as simple as picking up a joint and being like, 'oh, it'll make me feel better,'" Cobb said. "There are the medicinal benefits if you research and find what you need."
Both Sherman and Cobb used to work for correction facilities in their prior careers. Sherman said she got into the marijuana dispensary business when she discovered, after a lot of research, how many physical ailments can be curbed with medical marijuana. Cobb said he had negative preconceived notions about marijuana years ago, but after research tried it for himself.
"I've got fibromyalgia, neuropathy, some disease that's causing muscle loss, it's eating away at them. I'm constantly in pain," Cobb said.
While he's not healed, the pain is no longer debilitating. He said every person is different, so it's important to do your research and find what products can work for you.
Sherman said those who need medical marijuana just need an Ohio Medical Marijuana Card to purchase their products.
"We're like a pharmacy, but not your traditional pharmacy. So, an alternative medicine," Sherman said.