Friday, June 28, 2019
By DAVID SKOLNICK
skolnick@vindy.com
YOUNGSTOWN
A long-dormant building on the city’s South Side has opened as the first medical marijuana dispensary in Mahoning County.
Leaf Relief had a grand opening and ribbon-cutting Friday at its location at 4323 Market St. Near the Boardman border, the 3,200-square-foot structure used to house Citi Financial.
A Citi Financial sign, covered with black paint, still stands in front of the building with a small vinyl sign hanging on the structure with the new company’s name.
“We’re excited to be in Youngstown and to bring life back to Market Street,” said Jessie Dann, the company’s general manager.
Leaf Relief had a soft opening Wednesday and has had some customers, said Terrell Washington, the company’s director of business operations. The company couldn’t let the media inside the facility because it has products at the business, he said.
Leaf Relief sells various types of medical marijuana: flower for vaporizing, edible gummies and tinctures, which are oils also for vaporizing, Washington explained.
The cost for a daily dose ranges from $33 to $57, he said. It is not covered by insurance.
Leaf Relief, a division of Quest Wellness LLC, is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.
It employs about 15, Washington said.
Councilwoman Anita Davis, D-6th, a retired Youngstown police officer who has Leaf Relief in her ward, said: “I’m happy it’s here. I welcome it to the neighborhood. It’s going to help us economically.”
Davis said she’s received positive and negative reactions from her constituents to Leaf Relief, but she’s not concerned the business will cause problems.
“Some people will come here out of curiosity, and then they’ll realize it’s not just anyone who can walk in here,” she said. “This is all very regulated.”
Patients with a qualifying medical conditions can buy and use medical marijuana after registering through a certified marijuana doctor, Dann said.
Qualifying medical conditions include AIDS/HIV, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis, chronic and severe pain, Parkinson’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, Sickle cell anemia, spinal cord injuries, Tourette syndrome, traumatic brain injury and ulcerative colitis.
There are 19 total dispensaries certified by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy. The board awarded a certificate of operation June 20 to Leaf Relief.
gLeaf Medical Cannabis, a medical marijuana dispensary at 2932 Youngstown Road in Warren, opened in April. FRXHealth Ohio Dispensary at 1865 Dresden Ave. in East Liverpool opened in February.