ATHENS, Ohio – Two Athens County marijuana dispensaries are among the 98 Ohio dispensaries that began selling recreational marijuana last week, almost a year after Ohio voters approved it.
Mavuno and Debbie’s Dispensary, both located in Athens, received licenses for recreation sales from the Ohio Department of Cannabis Control.
Ohio voters approved a ballot initiative legalizing recreational marijuana sales for adults over 21 in the 2023 general election. Ohio is the 24th state to legalize recreational cannabis sales. Athens County voted overwhelmingly in favor of Issue 2: Official results from the Ohio Secretary of State show the measure passed by 70% in Athens County, compared to the statewide approval rate of 56%.
“Operators had to decide if they were going to be dual-use or not, and in this environment, we were like, ‘Why not?’” said Amonica Davis, chief operating officer of Mavuno.
They weren’t alone: A map on the Ohio Department of Cannabis Control website shows only seven medical-only dispensaries in the state, meaning they are licensed to sell only to those with a medical marijuana card. The rest are licenses to sell both medical and recreational cannabis to customers age 21 or older.
A customer at Debbie’s, Magdalene Schlicher, said the change is benefiting consumers.
“I’ve already seen price reductions in what used to be medical use stores that have turned recreational,” she said. “Obtaining your medical card is also cheaper now that it isn’t some exclusive thing.”
Under Ohio law, dispensaries cannot be located within 500 feet of parks, schools, libraries and playgrounds. Recently, Athens City Council member Alan Swank proposed an amendment to Athens City code to include churches in this list as well.
According to a WOUB report, a third Athens dispensary has received approval for recreational sales. That dispensary, Bloom, will be located on West Stimson Avenue. Ohio law does not permit more than one dispensary within a 1-mile radius, so the Athens city market is likely closed for now.
Representatives of Debbie’s Dispensary, located at 544 Richland Ave. in Athens, declined to speak with the Independent.
Same location, new name
Located at 711 W. Union St., Mavuno opened as a medical dispensary in 2021 as Harvest of Athens, part of Phoenix-based Harvest Health and Recreation. Davis’ sister, Ariane Kirkpatrick, holds a majority stake in Harvest of Ohio, which also had dispensaries in Columbus and Beavercreek, as well as cultivation and processing facilities in Ironton.
Earlier this year, Kirkpatrick relinquished all but the Athens dispensary to Trulieve, the Florida-based company that acquired Harvest Health and Recreation in 2021. She and Davis renamed the operation Mavuno, the Swahili word for harvest.
“When we were Harvest stores, people visited us frequently, often saying how comfortable they felt in our stores,” Davis said.
According to Davis, this comfortable feeling will not change under the dispensary’s new name, and she even hopes to amp up the dispensary’s educational services.
“The people who work in our dispensaries give me the information and education I need to be an informed consumer, and that’s not going to change under the Mavuno name,” Davis said. “We’re going to even ratchet [consumer comfortability] up a notch in terms of education because there are so many people out there who just don’t know the different uses of cannabis.”
The introduction of recreational products to the market gives the company an opportunity to reach a new audience, Davis said.
“I think more people will feel comfortable experimenting with cannabis, especially those who experimented years ago as a college student and are wanting to try it again now that it’s legal,” she said.
A customer at Debbie’s Dispensary, who declined to give their name, agreed.
“If someone’s only objection to weed was its illegality, I think they’d be more open to trying it now,” the customer said.
Local impact of recreational cannabis
Schlicher wondered if the availability of legal recreational weed could pose problems for Ohio University.
“The university has strict rules regarding cannabis use on campus, but if more and more students have easy access, it might be hard to combat,” she said.
“They’ll probably start treating it like alcohol,” said the anonymous Debbie’s customer.
Student codes of conduct for both Ohio University and Hocking College prohibit use or possession of cannabis or cannabis-derived products — but both are framed around legality. OU’s code prohibits cannabis “except as expressly permitted by law,” while Hocking’s refers to “illegal drugs, including marijuana.”
Ohio University rules regarding marijuana possession will remain the same.
“Under federal law, cannabis is still considered a controlled substance; therefore, cannabis is not permitted on Ohio University property or at University-sponsored activities under any circumstances,” Ohio University Director of Communications Dan Pittman said.
“It’s important to note that OHIO receives federal funding to support programs, such as federal work-study and student financial aid, and failure to abide by federal law and regulations would jeopardize these federally funded programs,” Pittman added.
Hocking College will mirror these rules.
“No marijuana of any kind on campus,” a Hocking College Police Department representative said.
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