CLEVELAND — Ohio is the 24th state to legalize recreational marijuana use, after Issue 2 got the support of about 57% of voters in November’s election.
However, it will take time before recreational dispensaries can officially open their doors to patrons, as there are many steps required to implement the newly passed law.
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Ariane Kirkpatrick and her sister Amonica Davis run a local medical marijuana business, Harvest of Ohio, and said they are navigating the addition of recreational sales to their business model.
“Since we’ve been operational since 2021, we have served over 25,000 medical patients that are part of the Ohio medical marijuana program,” Davis, COO at Harvest, said. “And we know with the passage of issue two, our customer base is going to double, if not triple.”
Though their operation is headquartered in Cleveland, they run dispensaries in Columbus, Athens and Beavercreek, Ohio.
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“It’s just not a retail operation of just selling and making dollars. It’s just not a revenue thing,” said Harvest of Ohio’s CEO Kirkpatrick. “What can we do to really help our customers, our patients, so that we can remove that stigma? So, we decided to be pioneers on patient education.”
Davis said since they already have three medical dispensaries, their business is able to apply for three recreational licenses to run parallel in each of the shops they already own.
She said medical and recreational customers will make purchases in different parts of the shop.
The sisters are passionate about uplifting marginalized people through their business endeavors.
Data from the ACLU showed that between 2010 and 2018, Black people were more likely than white people to be arrested for marijuana possession in every U.S. state.
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“If you look at the whole history of the discrimination, racism and prejudice in it even being a schedule one or it being classified, that it is all attributed to systemic barriers and obstacles,” Kirkpatrick said. “So, we are very happy for so many reasons to see a change.”
They said it was validating to see Issue 2 pass with such a strong margin in the election, earning 57% of the vote.
One of their goals in the coming years is to open a dispensary for their home community in Cleveland.
“One of the benefits of going recreational is that we are going to be able to hire a lot more people that are interested in accessing a career in the cannabis industry,” Davis said.
She said they’re committed to continuing the fight for representation and justice for people who look like them in the industry.
“It’s not until you’re in a position of power and influence that you can truly change the lives of people,” Davis said. “So, being entrepreneurs, we’ve been able to create a very diverse and inclusive workforce. We’ve been able to hire people that otherwise would not be a part of this industry.”
Source: https://t-tees.com
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