The first cannabis sales in Ohio occurred Wednesday morning, according to an Ohio 10 TV report.
While licenses have been issued to more than 56 dispensaries, only four were open for the first day of sales: two in Wintersville, one in Canton, and one in Sandusky. A fifth is expected to open sometime this week just outside of Cleveland, as well.
Currently, just flower and similar plant materials are available to Ohio patients. Only cannabis growers — not processors or manufacturers — have been given certificates of operation by the state. An ounce is currently retailing in Ohio medical dispensaries for about $500.
Ohio’s medical cannabis program has been plagued by delays. Originally sales were to begin on September 8 of last year. The complicated license approval process and the low number and quality of applications are to blame, according to regulators.
Ohio Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko, a cannabis legalization advocate, criticized the state for its delays on the first day of sales. However, he urged the new governor to prioritize the program’s completion. Filling out the number of dispensaries in the state and getting processor licenses issued might be “An opportunity for the new governor to do right by people who are suffering,” said Sen. Yuko.
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