Marijuana dispensary answers most pressing questions on Issue 2 taking effect
No action will be taken on the laws surrounding recreational marijuana in Ohio until next year.
The bill that passed the Ohio Senate has not yet reached the House floor.
That pause could be a good thing for sellers and growers, especially when it comes to supply and demand issues that'll pop up when the state gives the green light.
"We see long lines, sometimes people spending the night and a lot of times within the first few days are running out of product," said Jason Erkes, a spokesman for Cresco Labs. "So it's imperative that there is this time for the growers to ramp up, to manufacture and make sure that there's sufficient products on the shelf. We don't want someone waiting out there in the cold, you know, to shop that first day and then they get to the front of the counter and it's like, Well, we only have one product left for you to buy."
Erkes adds that ramping production and getting products to stores allows for a successful launch.
One of Ohioans' biggest questions since Issue 2 passed is "What will the buying process look like?"
Erkes says the process may be different than what you imagine.
"You're walking in and you're working with a wellness advisor with an iPad to walk through the different products that are available, different dosage, so you can make sure you get the right thing after the fact that you're looking for, whether it's something medicinally your back pain or a little anxiety, that you're looking for some relief or, you know, for socially you're looking for something for a social release," he said. "We want to make sure that you walk out with the right product and know how to dose it properly to make sure you have a positive experience."
As far as when Erkes thinks you'll be able to buy in stores, his guess is late summer to early fall of 2024, due to how much needs to play out within the state.
