View a report on the Botanist dispensary preparing Monday night for sales in the video player above.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio is minutes away from its first legal recreational marijuana sale, as nearly 100 shops in the state have received the green light to open for new business.
The Ohio Division of Cannabis Control released a list of 98 medical dispensaries that would receive their certificates of operation on Tuesday, allowing them to convert to a dual-use storefront and sell to recreational customers. They've been waiting nearly a year for this launch after voters passed Issue 2 in November.
Jason Erkes with Cresco Labs -- the parent company of Sunnyside Dispensaries -- showed NBC4 the first crop of cannabis planted specifically for recreational products in May. With the state's supply receiving dual-use certificates first, Erkes confirmed his Yellow Springs growing facility harvested the crop in July.
Ohio's marijuana industry displayed major interest in doing recreational business, with 104 of the state's 126 dispensaries applying in July to convert to dual use, according to DCC Public Information Officer Jamie Crawford.
On Monday, the DCC confirmed 98 dispensaries would receive certificates of operation and be allowed to sell recreationally on Tuesday. Search for a city in the chart below to see which ones are nearby.
Both Sunnyside and Trulieve have squared up as possible hosts for the first official recreational marijuana sale in Ohio. The former's Cincinnati dispensary -- at 5149 Kennedy Ave. -- and the latter's Columbus and Westerville locations -- 2950 N. High St. and 8295 Sancus Blvd. -- are each opening at 7 a.m.
Other storefronts, like Sunnyside in Chillicothe and the Landing OH in Columbus, chose times between 9 and 10 a.m.
Payment options for customers vary between dispensaries. Erkes said Sunnyside Dispensaries accept cash as well as debit cards, as long as they use a PIN. Nate Darling with the Landing OH in Columbus, on the other hand, said the store takes cash, or customers can use an ecommerce platform called Dutchie Pay. He added that the dispensary has ATMs on-site as well.
Trulieve's Phil Buck told NBC4 that the company's shops accept cash, debt cards, Dutchie and another service called CanPay.
