Ohio’s first medical marijuana sale should happen next week

The tiny village of Wintersville in Jefferson County could be the site of a historic moment next week as the location of the state’s first sale of medical marijuana. A tiny village in Jefferson County could be the site of an historic moment next week. The state’s first sale of medical marijuana should take place at the CY+ dispensary in Wintersville, according to Jason Erkes, spokesman for Cresco Labs, the company that owns CY+.

“We’re thinking that’s what’s going to happen,” Erkes said. “We’re ready to go.”

Two of the state’s testing labs are operational now and three cultivators have product ready to be tested, the last step before the marijuana can be shipped to dispensaries for sale. The CY+ shop in Wintersville is the only dispensary to receive a certificate of operation, so is expected to be the first site to make a sale.

Erkes doesn’t know how much product will make it to Wintersville, but said all of it will be dried flower — the leafy material familiar to those who have smoked marijuana. There won’t be edibles, tinctures, pills or other products until the supply chain ramps up, processing plants come on line and the mechanics of Ohio’s program become more familiar to everyone involved.

“Everyone is doing everything for the first time,” Erkes said.

Cresco has a track record of firsts: The company hosted the first sale in Pennsylvania as well.

Although supply will be small, the first batch of dried flower will cover about 30 strains, Erkes said. Some of it will come from a harvest at Cresco’s Yellow Springs cultivation site.

More than 3,000 Ohioans have medical marijuana cards allowing them to buy cannabis products once they become available. There are more than 50 approved dispensaries across Ohio, but most are not ready to open. Five dispensaries are in Columbus, three in Newark, and one each in Carroll, Marion and Chillicothe, none of which have been approved to open.

Since it is still illegal to smoke marijuana in Ohio, what can patients do with dried flower?

“Vape it,” Erkes said.

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