The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Elyria approval up to council: Medical marijuana dispensary opening in works
ELYRIA >> Members of Elyria City Council Community Development Committee granted a first conditional use permit Jan. 14 to one of the city’s new medical marijuana dispensaries.
Clubhouse Dispensary, 709 Sugar Lane in Elyria, is ready to open its doors to medical marijuana consumers, according to Robert Hasman, director of NMG Ohio, the parent company of Clubhouse Dispensary, and its partner Body and Mind Inc.
Mayor Holly Brinda said once the request of the CUP makes it through the city’s planning commission on Jan. 15 and through three readings of council,
beginning Jan. 21, the dispensary is good to go.
NMG Ohio, also known as Nevada Medical Group, is a Las Vegas-based medical marijuana cultivator and producer.
The company is known for its ability to supply dispensaries with marijuana and nonsmoking marijuana products, including electronic cigarettes, ointments and edible foods, Hasman said.
The Sugar Lane facility makes Ohio NMG’s third operating state outside Nevada and California, he said.
It also is the company’s only facility out of the two others located in Lorain County.
The other facility in Elyria is located at 603 Cleveland St. and owned by AFS Cultivation.
Lorain’s facility is located at 1920 Cooper Foster Park Road and owned by GTI Ohio.
Hasman said the new facility
is 4,500 square feet in size, with plenty of outdoor parking space.
Secure facility
Clubhouse Dispensary is highly secured with concrete block, creating a facility that not only has a professional and classy feel, but very safe, Hasman said.
“There’s a lot of criteria from experience and operation we had to meet,” he said. “We went through a pretty extensive process with the state.”
The facility will operate at full state requirements with full time security personnel, a state-of-the-art security and camera system, a steel vault and a secure documentation system for patient data, Hasman said.
Clubhouse will employ up to 25 people which include, managers, security, bookkeepers, and “budtenders,” who are professionally trained to assist customers with their best medical need.
So far, seven employees, who are experienced with Colorado and California operations, are employed, Hasman said.
These employees will help with the consumer process at the dispensary, which begins with a customer being verified of their driver’s license or forms of identification, their medical marijuana card and any other credentials needed, he said.
Next, customers will be assisted by bud-tenders who will provide the necessary product and educate them on the use, benefits and all effects, Hasman said.
“It’s just like a pharmacy,” he said of the experience. “We’re very similar.”
Hasman said all products are pre-packaged and displayed in cases.
To avoid any smells, the facility has an installed and new state-of-the-art H-VAC system, he said.
Can’t smoke it
Any product that is sold in the dispensary is not smoked because Ohio law says a consumer can’t smoke it, Hasman said.
Elyria Ward 6 Council Woman Donna Mitchell asked how the process would work for someone registered to use medical marijuana.
Hasman said a doctor who is registered to sell cannabis can prescribe it to a consumer if they have the requirement approved by Ohio’s Pharmacy Board.
A card to prove your verification would be issued, but only is good for 90 days until it has to be renewed, according to Safety Service Director Mary Siwierka.
Hasman said a consumer in Ohio can only consume 2.8 grams of the cannabis in a daily dose.
Operating a motor vehicle
Elyria police Chief Duane Whitely said it is against the law for consumers to be under the influence of marijuana while operating a vehicle.
Whitely said the substance can stay in a person’s system days after its use.
“As long as they’re following the rules and not driving too soon after using it, it’s not on the dispensary, it’s on the individual using it,” he said.
Whitely added after researching with other police agencies and facilities in other states, they’ve received no negative feedback on dispensaries.
“We’re all learning,” Brinda said. “We’ve had long discussions about this, we’ve done our homework and we do believe providing this alternative form of medicine will be helpful to many of our residents.
“So, we’re glad they’ll have that option.”
Assistant Safety Service Director Kevin Brubaker said the Cleveland Street dispensary still is in the works with renovations and requesting its conditional use permit.