LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- GTI (Green Thumb Industries) Ohio LLC plans on opening two medical marijuana dispensaries in Lakewood. The Chicago-based company has proposed construction of two RISE stores on undeveloped lots at 11818 Madison Ave. and 18607 Detroit Ave.

Both locations received approval from the Lakewood Planning Commission and Architectural Board of Review. Work can begin once construction documents are approved by the Lakewood Building Department.

“We love Northeast Ohio, we like the city of Cleveland and we figured that Lakewood, given the population density, would provide an opportunity to serve a large patient community,” GTI Ohio LLC Manager Adam Robbins said.

“We believe the locations are in a good spot for the Northeast Ohio community with easy accessibility from the interstate.”

With 17 existing locations in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida, Illinois and Nevada, GTI Ohio LLC earlier this year was awarded five Ohio provisional licenses, which allow for the opening of dispensaries in Lakewood, as well as in downtown Cleveland (currently under construction), Lorain and Toledo.

“These sites are for the retail of medical cannabis only,” Robbins said. “There will be no production, no cultivation at these locations. It’s just for the dispensing of medical cannabis. All the medical cannabis will be sourced locally from the state of Ohio from the licensed cultivators and manufacturers that won their application through the Ohio Department of Commerce, which is the body overseeing cultivation and processing.

“The medical marijuana will be sold to regular patients and patient caregivers as part of the Ohio Medical Marijuana program. So, not just anybody can walk into these facilities.”

GTI Ohio LLC hopes to open both Lakewood locations toward the end of 2019.

Mayor Mike Summers felt it was inevitable that Lakewood would have license applicants.

“Consequently, we created and ultimately approved ordinances that compensate the city for extra costs of public safety and create clear safety expectations and building design approval processes,” Summers said.

“We were surprised that Lakewood applicants received two of the five initial licenses granted in Cuyahoga County. Lakewood’s annual fees of $25,000 a year and 1.5 percent of annual sales over $1.2 million dollars are among the highest municipal fees in the country. These funds can be used to support expanded human services for our most vulnerable residents," he said.

Lakewood Director of Planning & Development Bryce Sylvester said that from an economic development perspective, both projects bring new buildings to Lakewood’s commercial corridors, which will generate new annual real estate taxes and income taxes.

“Once both operations are up and running, the annual fee is analogous to a company moving to Lakewood with a $5 million payroll,” Sylvester said.

“Additionally, we’ve learned that GTI is also exploring the option of installing solar panels at the Madison location, which supports Lakewood’s initiatives related to resiliency and sustainable building practices.”

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