CANTON, OH — The Botanist is set to become Northeast Ohio’s first medical marijuana dispensary when it opens Wednesday. The Canton-based dispensary will be only the second medical dispensary to open in Ohio.
The Botanist is owned by Greenleaf Apothecaries, which will operate five dispensaries in Ohio. The company said patients can visit the Canton dispensary on opening day and get a consultation with a trained representative, and then purchase medical cannabis flower.
“We want patients to feel comfortable accessing treatment and gaining an understanding of the power and applications of cannabis by making the dispensary experience open, welcoming and informative,” said David Neundorfer, CEO of Greenleaf Apothecaries. “Additionally, in keeping with The Botanist’s commitment to education and singular customer experience, we look forward to offering a rich outreach program and informational events.”
The Botanist will be open Tuesday to Saturday, from noon to 6 p.m. The dispensary is housed in a 6,000 square foot facility, which is inspired by 19th-century laboratories, Greenleaf said in a statement. Inside the dispensary is a Seed Bar educational station for customers to learn about marijuana.
Products available for purchase will include cannabis flowers, vape oil, tinctures, edibles, and capsules, once the processors have product available for sale. Greenleaf Apothecaries also plans to operate its own cultivation and processing facility in Middlefield, and will eventually sell branded Botanist products.
Due to the lack of open dispensaries, the company said customers should initially expect longer-than-normal wait times in the Canton store.
Greenleaf Apothecaries expects to open its four other Botanist locations before the end of the first quarter, the company said. Locations in Cleveland, Wickliffe, Akron, and Columbus are slated to begin business before the end of March.
The state’s first medical marijuana dispensary, CY+, expects to have its first sale this week. That dispensary is located in Wintersville, near Steubenville.