The other sites: Columbia Care Dayton, 333 Wayne Ave.; Columbia Care Logan, 245 W Main St.; Columbia Care Marietta, 414 Greene St.; and gLeaf Warren, 2932 Youngstown Road. SE.
Columbia Care Monroe, formerly Strawberry Fields, will be among the first in Ohio to sell adult-use recreational products as the state begins to pass out certificates of operation for recreational marijuana to medical marijuana dispensaries.
The other medical marijuana businesses in the city, the two Shangri-La Dispensary Ohio locations and The Landing Dispensary have been approved, according to workers and phone recordings there.
Other local dispensaries could see a beginning to recreational sales after Tuesday. Dual license applications opened in June, and the state must approve or deny them by Sept. 7.
David Hart, CEO of the Cannabist Company, said he “can’t wait to welcome new customers while continuing to support our loyal patients.”
Christina McElfresh, Monroe’s vice mayor, said the city is ready for the recreational business to operate after Ohio voters supported Issue 2 on Nov. 7, 2023.
She hopes Columbia Care and others operate like any retail/commercial business in the city. She said council members have been in contact with city officials and the police department.
The city of Monroe has become a hotbed for medical marijuana businesses, and the topic has been heavily debated among the seven City Council members.
During a special council meeting in June, Dr. Kelly Clark, a Monroe City Council member, appeared to be the only one of the seven members interested in the city adding cannabis businesses when the state allows recreational marijuana sales.
Council members directed Development Director Tom Smith to create legislation for a potential vote that hasn’t happened.
The city earlier placed a moratorium on marijuana businesses opening in the city. The moratorium is set to expire on Oct. 8, according to city documents.
Monroe has four medical marijuana businesses, two in Butler County and two in Warren County. The four are located near Interstate 75, are 2.5 miles apart and report “very healthy” sales, Smith said.
While the special meeting in June was intense at times, there was a lighter note when Mayor Keith Funk was talking about the potential financial benefits to the city and its residents.
If that was the case, he’d vote for Monroe to be the “Cannabis Capital of the World.”
A few members jokingly asked him to repeat that statement.
“Positive cash flow solves a lot of problems,” he said.
Several council members repeated what they had said at earlier meetings. They believe Monroe, with an estimated population of 15,500, doesn’t need more than four cannabis businesses. Per capita, Monroe has more marijuana businesses than any Ohio city, they said.
Dispensaries in Michigan generate about $56,000 annually in taxes, according to Clark. She figures Ohio will have about the same financial structure. By adding two more dispensaries, that could mean more than $100,000 to the city. She doesn’t want the city to “close the door on significant income.”
More dispensaries would provide the city with additional tax benefits, as the retail component has a 10% state excise tax on adult-use cannabis. Council member Ben Wagner noted that while Monroe has four medical marijuana businesses, it has only one liquor store. He said the city doesn’t need more marijuana businesses.
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