What Ohioans need to know before recreational marijuana sales start Tuesday

EUCLID, Ohio (WJW) – Ohio dispensaries and customers have been waiting patiently for dual-use marijuana licenses to be approved by the state, allowing recreational marijuana sales to the public.

Now that those applications have been approved, many are eager to access cannabis products.

However, there are a few rules and protocols to know and understand ahead of Tuesday.

“Marijuana will be available to all Ohioans who need it,” Nectar’s Jimmy Dawson said. “We’ll still support our medical patients like we have been doing. We can still take care of them the same way we have. We’ll just have more customers coming in and we’re going to keep our supplies up to meet that demand.”

Nectar in Euclid is one of many dispensaries in Ohio who received the green light for recreational sales.

Dawson said customers will need to be 21 years of age with a valid state ID or Driver’s license, and there is a limit on what each person can buy without a medical marijuana card.

“(Customers) can purchase a 10-day supply per 24-hours,” he said. “So, for example, a half ounce of weed will be five days’ worth. So, they could get a half ounce of weed and a come in and get five packs of 100 milligram gummies. It depends on what they buy, what reaches up to that 10-day quota.”

That includes a wide array of products like flower, vaporizers, and even cooking essentials.

“Our edibles include chocolates, gummies, lozenges, baked goods, tarts,” Dawson said. “So it’s a lot of different options for different people. We even have sugar; we have olive oil. So, some people want things for more discreetness. It just is something for everybody.”

Dawson recommends new cannabis consumers start out with lower potency levels to find and understand their tolerance, similar to alcohol.

“You start low, and you see how it affects you,” Dawson said. “Give it some time, and then if you need more, just take a little more and just build that up. Don’t go crazy. Because then you’re going to do what we call greening out and it’s not fun. You feel nauseous. You feel dizzy. It’s not fun at all.”

Nectar, and many other dispensaries are cash only operations , but ATMs are on site. There is also a 10% state sales tax on all products. Medicinal marijuana card holders still get priority.

“They put a preorder in, those orders are going to get filled ASAP to make sure they get what they need, versus what someone else wants,” Dawson said.

Never operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of marijuana or related products. It can impair your ability to drive, potentially causing an accident or an OVI arrest.

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