Wintersville dispensary begins selling non-medical marijuana | News, Sports, Jobs

APPROVED — Sunnyside, a medical marijuana dispensary in Wintersville, today received its dual-use operating certificate from the Division of Cannabis Control to begin selling non-medical marijuana in addition to medical marijuana. — Christopher Dacanay

WINTERSVILLE — The Division of Cannabis Control is scheduled to issue its first dual-use operating certificates on Tuesday, allowing a Jefferson County medical marijuana dispensary and 97 others in Ohio to begin selling nonmedical marijuana.

Located at 180 Main St., Wintersville, Sunnyside is among the first group of eligible dispensaries to be issued 10(B) dual-use certificates by the DCC, the Ohio Department of Commerce’s branch for regulating the state’s cannabis industry. With the issuance, Sunnyside and the other existing medical dispensaries became legally authorized to sell nonmedical cannabis in addition to medical cannabis, according to a release from the DCC.

The division is now about a month ahead of schedule, having been given a Sept. 7 deadline to begin recreational sales through Proposition 2. Passed by a 57 percent majority vote on Nov. 7, Proposition 2 made Ohio the 24th U.S. state to legalize cannabis for adult use and the 14th state to do so through a voter-approved ballot initiative.

“We are very excited to be able to open our doors and welcome people to purchase regulated cannabis for the first time in Ohio.” said Jason Erkes, director of communications for Cresco Labs Inc., Sunnyside’s parent company.

Certificates of operation have been issued for all five Ohio Sunnyside locations (Wintersville, Cincinnati, Marion, Chillicothe and Newark) and all except the Newark location begin recreational sales today.

“Consumers across the state are very excited,” Erkes said. “We’re getting phone calls from people asking if they can camp overnight and stay in our parking lots at some of our stores so they can be among the first to shop. I think that speaks volumes about the excitement across the state.”

The law allows adults 21 and older with a valid ID to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and 15 grams of concentrate, paying a 10 percent excise tax. Medical patients, meanwhile, are exempt from the tax and can possess up to a 90-day supply, with specific quantities depending on the type of product.

“I think customers will be very surprised when they walk into a dispensary for the first time, as it is a very different experience than the stigma associated with it would lead them to believe.” Erkes said. “The dispensaries are bright and welcoming, there are no glass jars you can pull bud out of with your bare hands. Everything is pre-packaged and child-proof sealed, just like you would see at your local pharmacy.”

Products will be stored in a vault until purchase is made, with sample containers on display, Erkes said. Trained Sunnyside wellness coaches will be on hand to talk to customers about their goals and guide them through product dosage and method of consumption. “to make sure they have a good first experience.” With products ranging from flower and vaporizers to edibles and concentrates, the work of advisors will be critical, Erkes said.

Sunnyside locations are expected to be “very full” Opening, Erkes said, is despite the DCC informing dispensaries that they are not allowed any fanfare or ceremonial decorations on opening day.

Erkes said the Wintersville facility is likely to draw a significant number of consumers from Pennsylvania and West Virginia, where recreational use remains illegal. Bringing marijuana across state lines remains illegal at the federal level, though Erkes said it is not the dispensary’s responsibility to police whether a consumer crosses state lines or not. Rather, he said, that would be the duty of local law enforcement.

Erkes encouraged consumers to visit sunnyside.shop to familiarize themselves with the dispensary’s offerings so they are more prepared when they enter the store.

The DCC statement states that the COO issuance is “based roughly on the order in which the division received completed applications and when compliance requirements were met.” The division plans to grant COO status to all remaining eligible dispensaries later this week. “to help ensure fair and equitable implementation.” The non-award is likely due to a deficiency in the application, which the DCC aims to assist applicants in resolving.

DCC Superintendent James Canepa said: “One of the main reasons we were able to get to this point before the Sept. 7 deadline was the foundation laid through the state’s existing Medical Marijuana Monitoring Program. Because existing licensees had already met the strict requirements of that program, we expected this process to be fairly straightforward. They had already undergone many of the extensive screening that is part of that process.”

Qualifications included being able to properly process adult-use and medical sales taking into account tax differences, comply with legal requirements for security systems, validate employee training, update employee credentials, and ensure as much inventory as possible remains for medical patients.

“The requirements are not that different from those that applied to medical patients, but we have followed state guidelines to ensure that staff are fully trained and ready to answer questions.” Erkes said. “We have been stocking up on as much product as we can and reserving products for those medical patients to make sure that if there is a shortage of products, they will be taken care of and still be able to get their medications.”

Canepa said: “As the nonmedical cannabis market opens, the division will continue to review and approve 10(B) dispensaries, or additional licenses, for which eligible licensees have been able to apply for additional locations. Because construction, inspection, and receipt of operating certificates for those additional sites will take time, we anticipate that in the coming months and years, those 10(B) dispensaries will be operational.”