The interior of Backroad Wellness could be seen Monday, a day before it could begin selling recreational cannabis.
Jacob Espinosa | The Lima News
LIMA — Sarah McCullough said Backroad Wellness is prepared and confident for the potential crowd to come Tuesday.
Although the Lima medical marijuana dispensary will be limited for the first month, it will be legally allowed to sell recreational cannabis, along with 97 other dispensaries in the state of Ohio following the November ballot initiative that made it possible.
“It’s exciting,” the general manager said. “We’ve been waiting for this since November.”
McCullough said the state’s newly formed Division of Cannabis Control sent out guidance on how opening day is supposed to go while dispensaries are still operating under medical marijuana rules for a month.
“The recreational customers are restricted to a 10-day supply for the time being, just so we can make sure we don’t run out of product across the state,” she said. “But we will be able to loosen up things like advertising a bit more, hopefully.”
Backroad Wellness, 1503 Harding Highway, Lima, will join other area dispensaries such as Shangri-La, 215 W. Fifth St., Delphos; and Verilife, 502 N. Dixie Highway, Wapakoneta; to begin selling following the announcement out of Columbus on Monday.
“Shangri-La’s staff have been training and preparing for months in anticipation of adult-use sales tomorrow,” CEO Nevil Patel said through a spokesperson. “We’re prepared to provide recreational use customers with the safe, quality access to cannabis we’ve been delivering to our medical customers.”
The DCC, part of the Ohio Department of Commerce, will issue dual-use Certificates of Operation to the dispensaries, 98 total, a month before the Sept. 7 deadline the statute voters passed called for.
McCullough said Backroad was lucky to have a team working on the paperwork necessary to receive the COO and that it was interesting to observe the process as a small business.
“You have that anxiety of asking what we are going to do when you hear several dates throughout the year, but I think we’re doing pretty good because we are way ahead of schedule,” she said. “I know a lot of people wanted it done in December, but all of the rules needed to be written. There was a lot of stuff happening in the background to make sure it could be done quickly and efficiently.”
McCullough cautioned customers not to expect prices similar to Michigan’s and to know that the business is cash-only. She also said its menu is available online, and Backroad Wellness would try its best to move whatever line formed along quickly.
Reach Jacob Espinosa at 567-242-0399.
