Jeff Riede, 55, was the first person to legally buy recreational marijuana at Cincinnati's Sunnyside Dispensary at 7 a.m. on Aug. 6. The purchase made him one of the first in the state to participate in Ohio's new adult-use cannabis program.
"I got flower and edibles," Riede told reporters after the purchase.
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Photo: Aidan Mahoney
The first recreational marijuana sales at Sunnyside Recreational and Medical Marijuana Dispensary on Aug. 6, 2024
Ohioans have been waiting patiently for legal sales since voters passed Issue 2 in November 2023. The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol successfully brought Issue 2 to the ballot through a state-wide signature collection campaign. Voters ultimately passed the proposal with 57% in support of legalizing and regulating the cultivation, manufacturing, testing and sale of marijuana to Ohioans 21 and up.
Ohio's Division of Cannabis Control issued the first set of dispensary non-medical licenses on Tuesday, including Sunnyside Dispensary in Oakley and Verilife in Pleasant Ridge.
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Photo: Aidan Mahoney
The first recreational marijuana sales at Sunnyside Recreational and Medical Marijuana Dispensary on Aug. 6, 2024
Eric F. didn't have to wait too long in line, but he's been waiting a long time to be able to buy edibles legally in the state.
"This is my first time legally participating," he told CityBeat.
Rob Busemeyer was also excited to be part of the historic day.
"So excited, I think it's a great day," he said. "I got in line at 4:20 a.m."
The first week of legal recreational marijuana sales is expected to be busy at participating dispensaries. A spokesperson for Sunnyside told CityBeat there's ways to speed up your weed errand.
"We advise people to look at Sunnyside.shop before they come, just to see what products are available and get an idea of what consumption method they might want to purchase," he said. "But our staff will be able to walk them through that whole process, that whole journey to make sure they get the right product and right dose."
click to enlarge
Photo: Aidan Mahoney
The first recreational marijuana sales at Sunnyside Recreational and Medical Marijuana Dispensary on Aug. 6, 2024
Melissa, who did not want to provide her last name to CityBeat, is a manager at Verilife Dispensary in Pleasant Ridge. She said Verilife staff are prepared to move lines quickly, but said mobile ordering may help some customers avoid long waits.
"There's probably going to be a line or some sort of line, but we're very quick here," she said. "We've trained a lot of people over the past five years to order online. We have an express service for online orders. I think definitely utilizing the online platforms that are available would be best for everybody."
Customers must be at least 21 years old to participate in the state's adult-use recreational marijuana program.
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