Ohio Dispensaries Receive Dual Use Certificates of Operation
CAMBRIDGE, OH – The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Cannabis Control has issued its first set of dual-use Certificates of Operation (COO) to 98 eligible dispensaries across the state.
With this certification, dispensaries are legally authorized to sell non-medical cannabis in addition to medical cannabis. Backroad Wellness, located at 5748 Glenn Highway in Cambridge, is among the dispensaries to receive a COO.
“It’s a dual-use certificate, meaning that we’ve currently been operating under a medical status and dispensing only to medical patients. Now, we have the opportunity to help costumers that would like to partake in recreational cannabis as well,” Backroads Wellness of Cambridge General Manager Ashland Gentry said.
Backroad Wellness has started selling non-medical cannabis as of August 6th, 2024. Gentry explained how he believes this will benefit the community, and that he hopes to end the stigma of cannabis through community outreach and education.
“Jobs. I mean, we’ve got 23 or 24 people employed just at this store. We’ve got three other locations that have been able to offer some job opportunities. And, breaking down the stigma. Normalizing consumption of cannabis and what we do here. That’s a big part of it. We’re hoping to just work as a normal business in society that’s accepted,” Gentry said.
New dispensaries have also been established in Coshocton and Newark. For details about the non-medical cannabis program, please check the Division’s FAQ. For more information about Backroad Wellness, visit their website linked below.
