Dispensaries don’t anticipate adult-use sales to slow anytime soon

DAYTON, Ohio ( WDTN ) — In one month of recreational marijuana sales, the state of Ohio has seen $44 million in sales.

Though dispensaries anticipate a slowdown in the future, they’re not anticipating that to be any time soon. Many people say they’ve been waiting for decades for legalization.

“I think it’s great that it’s finally been legalized. I think it’s been a long time coming,” said Kevin Ortega, Columbia Care customer.

Customers and dispensaries alike say the sale of adult-use marijuana has been top of mind for many Ohioans after a list of medical dispensaries across the state were approved for adult-use sales.

“The fact that you can just walk into a store and without having to go through hoops or loops or even going through a medical card program, it’s exciting,” said Erick Rodriguez, vice president of retail for The Cannabist Company.

That monetary influx has allowed these dispensaries to hire more employees, including seven more per location for five stores in Ohio for The Cannabist Company.

Despite significant sales, customers like Kevin Ortega say these dispensaries still have room to improve.

“They have a long way to go, in my opinion. I just would like to see a top-quality grade available and reasonable prices,” said Ortega.

Dispensary owners say they do expect to expand over time and see what works for their Ohio customers. They say they plan to use what they’ve learned in Ohio to help their businesses flourish nationwide.

“Day one, day two, day three was huge community. And we just look forward to what the future holds for cannabis, not just in Ohio, but, you know, across the United States,” said Rodriguez.

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