CLEVELAND — Nearly 100 dispensaries across the state of Ohio have been given the green light to start recreational sales, including Amplify in Cleveland Heights.
The dispensary rolled out the red carpet for what owner Andy Rayburn called a historic day.
“We are making history today. We are opening our three Amplify dispensaries. we are here in Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights, which is our first, so we wanted to feature this location,” Rayburn said. “It is just a really exciting day for not only us but for everyone in Ohio because now they are going to have a nice, safe, legal alternative to that illegal product that they have been forced to buy for decades and decades.”
The mayor of Cleveland Heights, Kahlil Seren, was there for this highly anticipated day, one that many have been waiting for since the passage of Issue 2 in November, which made Ohio the 24th state legalize recreational cannabis.
“I think we are going to benefit from it, both in terms of the revenue it brings in but also related to how we view our community, as an open, understanding community” Seren said. “I think our decision making reflects what Cleveland Heights wants to be, and I’m looking forward to the next chapter on this.”
Republican State Representative Jamie Callender was the dispensary's first recreational customer. The first sale took place right at 10 a.m., as soon as the store opened to the public.
“Like when prohibition ended, we are going to see a social acceptance that is going to happen, and we are going to see the stigma disappear fairly quickly here, when folks realize that this isn’t something to be afraid of any more so than alcohol, cigarettes or aspirin,” Callender said. “There is a purpose for cannabis in society.”
Although Callender gets credit for making the first purchase, dozens of customers quickly lined up in store for their chance to be one of the first people to buy recreational cannabis in the state.