The bright red and yellow “open now” signs outside Bluegrass CannaCare welcomed its first patients on Saturday.
The former bank building located in a retail plaza in Florence becomes just the seventh medical marijuana dispensary across the state of Kentucky, and the first in the northern portion of the state.
Staffers like Chad Johns say that each local sale is helping local processors and patients in this quickly-growing industry.
“Customers walk in, and they will be met by a check-in agent who will take their medical card and their state ID,” Johns said.
The process is friendly but follows strictly-regulated policies and standards.
“You can’t just walk in to the business,” Johns said. “You have to meet requirements before you can come in, per state law. From there, once you come through the locked door, you will be met by one of our amazing ‘bud-tenders’ who will answer any questions about products that we have available for you.”
Product lines are wide-ranging from smoke-based consumables to edible gummies with medicinal benefits, according to staffers and patients.
Rachel Roberts was one of Bluegrass CannaCare’s first customers on Saturday.
“I personally bought the edibles today because it is the first chance to buy them here in the state and because they are processed in Dayton, Kentucky,” Roberts said.
That proximity, both in manufacturing and consumption, is part of the draw for this location.
“The reason I choose to buy here is because I want a product that’s grown in Kentucky, that’s tested here in Kentucky, that’s processed in Kentucky, and that follows our strict regulations, so that I know I am getting high-quality medicine,” Roberts said.
For CannaCare and other dispensaries across the country, cannabis is quickly becoming a fast-growing and legal cash crop, where customer satisfaction appears to be growing with every sale.
The sale of either medical or recreational marijuana is legal in 40 states, including in Ohio. Despite this, it remains illegal for purchase in Indiana, as well as on the federal level.
Bluegrass CannaCare is located at 6809 Burlington Pike. Unlike in Ohio, where only a valid ID is needed to purchase marijuana products for residents 21 and older, Kentucky residents will need to obtain written certification from a licensed medical practitioner for a qualifying medical condition to be legally permitted to enter and buy products from the store.
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