Neighbors learn about Toledo’s first medical marijuana dispensary Green Thumb Industries

A new business is headed to west Toledo, but it has some on edge. Thursday the business leaders met with neighbors to discuss their plans moving forward. If all goes according to plan, in just months a medical marijuana dispensary will be moving into a building along West Sylvania Avenue.

It would be the first dispensary in Toledo and neighbors wanted answers about how they will operate the business near their neighborhood.

“What hours would you be open,” asked one neighbor Thursday night.

“Do you go only in Ohio or do you go over the borders,” questioned another west Toledo resident.

“Is this your first store in Ohio,” asked Toledo City Councilman Chris Delaney.

Toledo neighbors fired off questions for GTI or Green Thumb Industries Thursday night during a community watch meeting. The Chicago-based company currently operate 14 retail cannabis dispensaries five planned for Ohio.

The first on their list for medical marijuana dispensaries is in west Toledo along West Sylvania Ave.

“We want to make sure that we provide safe and reliable options and choices for the patients, so they don’t feel like they have to go the opiate route for pain management,” said Adam Robbins, market development manager for Green Thumb Industries. “And we just want to make sure that the patients feel comfortable in the environment that they come in to make the right decision for them.”

Neighbors were able to ask questions of their plans for operation, security, and voiced their fears.

“That’s what scares me,” said one neighbor during Thursday’s meeting. “There’s a school there and there’s two schools there and you just ask the police. I’m sorry, I just don’t agree with the location.”

“I’m just concerned about people doing things they shouldn’t,” said Jackie Wilczynski, a west Toledo neighbor. “And with that site being there and the only one you know in the Toledo area there could be people coming in from other areas and they may or may not have good intentions.”

GTI leaders said they had a specific standard of where they could set up shop in the city. They explained the dispensary will have an extensive security system too, from how people enter to alarms, cameras and more.

“This facility will be one of the most secure buildings in Toledo,” said Adam Robbins, with GTI.

City Councilman Chris Delaney said he has some concerns about the dispensary, but he will be keeping an eye on the business and resident’s thoughts.

“This is the first place this would be the first one so it’s experimental,” said Delaney. “And I think it’s important that the community comes out and has these questions and hopefully it is something that works.”

GTI plans to have the dispensary open this winter. They tell us they will not sell smokables or edible products in the store.

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