(7 Jun 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Canton, Ohio – 28 May 2024
1. Various pans of marijuana plants
2. Wide of Trip McDermott walking in cultivation facility
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Trip McDermott, Chief Operating Officer, Verano:
"We’re very excited about Ohio. Ten million person population here in the state, so it’s a big, big opportunity for us. And we feel that we’re ready for the growth."
4. Various of marijuana plants
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Trip McDermott, Chief Operating Officer, Verano:
“We knew that it was going to be a minute before implementation. As it always is, in all the states that are flipping from medical to adult use. But we spent that time preparing, building our team, getting our supply chain in order so we’re ready to meet the demand of adult use.”
6. Various of marijuana plants
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Trip McDermott, Chief Operating Officer, Verano:
“We’ve had the opportunity to do these transitions a number of times. And so I think we’ve got it very dialed in. And what we’re generally looking for in the beginning is making sure that our supply chain is in order. So packaging raw materials, things of that nature.”
8. Various of workers sorting dried marijuana flower
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Trip McDermott, Chief Operating Officer, Verano:
“We want to make sure that we have the right size teams that we can produce and manufacture the products to the multiple that we feel that we’re going to see in certain states.”
10. Various of Alexis Coombs and other worker making edibles
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Alexis Coombs, production manager, Verano:
“We’re still cranking out as normal. You know, we’ll probably start beginning to build up for our AU launch here very soon. But for the most part, not much has changed yet.”
12. Various of Alexis Coombs and other worker making edibles
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Alexis Coombs, production manager, Verano:
“We’re all very excited here. Everybody’s just ready to go. Every person in the plant is, you know, excited to get this ball rolling and ready for the next step in this journey. You know, our team works really hard here. And, we’ve come a long way. And, they’re proud to show off what they what they can do.”
14. Various of workers packaging vape cartridges
STORYLINE:
Recreational pot sales are nearing reality in Ohio.
The state Division of Cannabis Control published applications for new dual licenses that will allow existing medical marijuana dispensaries to also sell non-medical cannabis.
June 7 is the deadline for making applications available that was contained in a 2023 initiated statute approved overwhelmingly by Ohio voters.
"We’re very excited about Ohio. 10 million person population here in the state, so it’s a big, big opportunity for us," said Chief Operations Officer of Verano Trip McDermott inside the company’s cultivation facility in Canton.
Under the measure, Ohioans over 21 were immediately able to legally grow and possess adult-use marijuana at home, but there has yet to be anywhere in the state to legally buy it.
State regulators won’t say how long license approvals could take, but those who have helped put together rules for the program believe the first sales could come by mid-June. That’s because obtaining a dual license will allow Ohio’s network of about 132 medical pot dispensaries to begin selling those same products simply for fun.
An industry representative told legislators last month that many stores are busy preparing for the conversion.
AP Video by Patrick Orsagos
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