People looking to purchase marijuana products on the first day of legal sale recreational marijuana Tuesday wait in line at FRX East Liverpool Craft Cannabis Medical & Non-medical Dispensary in East Liverpool. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

EAST LIVERPOOL — Jamie Hardman, Wellsville, and Cody Crawford, Salem, were two of many who stood in line outside at FRX East Liverpool Craft Cannabis Medical & Non-medical Dispensary Tuesday morning to buy marijuana products.

Tuesday for many dispensaries throughout the state became the official start date for when they were officially allowed by law to sell marijuana for recreational purposes.

Hardman and Crawford both said the legalization of it has been too long coming.

Hardman, who uses edibles to help him sleep since he has not been able to find any over the counter items to help him, said he has no problem with it at all.

“It’s been too long coming to make it legal in Ohio,” Hardman said. “I know there are a lot of people who are against it, but I have no problem with it whatsoever.”

Hardman also said that he is happy for it because he knows too many people who have died from OVIs (operating a vehicle under the influence) due to their drinking or getting killed by drunk drivers and there are people dying from opiates, but nobody ever overdoses on marijuana.

“It chills you, it relaxes you and there is not one issue in my mind with it whatsoever,” Hardman said. ” I love the fact that they finally legalized it for recreational use.”

Crawford said he thinks marijuana is less harmful than alcohol and questions why it hasn’t been legal all this time.

“I think it’s less harmful than alcohol so why has not it been legal the whole time,” he said.

Jordan Zimmerman, operations manager for FRX, said the ability to sell craft cannabis (marijuana) outside the constraints of medicinal purposes has led to a pretty impressive increase for the business and an opportunity they are grateful for.

Zimmerman noted that craft cannabis is a term essentially used to describe the type of product that the business brings in.

“We are really committed to working with producers who create well-made products and with producers who are smaller and lesser known,” Zimmerman said. “Essentially what we mean when we say craft is the type of product we bring in as well as the type of partnerships that we curate.”

She also said recreational marijuana, or the term used by the state of adult use marijuana is a term that means the State of Ohio permits the selling of it to anyone who has a valid state identification card and is of age. She noted in Ohio the legal age to purchase marijuana is 21.

“So anyone who desires to purchase can come in,” Zimmerman said. “Recreational or adult use just means that it is no longer confined to the medical market that we were confined to before and craft is great quality from the best producers in Ohio.”

FRX has a grow and processor facility located near the dispensary in East Liverpool where they grow and process approximately 50% to 60% of the product they sell.

“We oversee the process, and we hire local folks from East Liverpool and around. We use organic processes. It is pretty rare in business to be certified organic,” Zimmerman said.

FRX also uses other Ohio-based producers such as Klutch; Firelands Scientific, which makes mostly flowers and plant-based consumables; Organic Remedies; Green Thumb Industries and others. Prices for flower sold in 2.83-gram packages range from $15.40 to $46

Customers can purchase in person at the dispensary at 1865 Dresden Ave. or order online and then pick it up. There are a variety of products available including flower, vaporizers, concentrates, edibles and more.

FRX is the only dispensary in Columbiana County where anyone can buy recreational/adult use marijuana. The nearest FRX location outside East Liverpool is in Cuyahoga Fallls. Other recreational marijuana purchase options include dispensaries in Lakewood, Cleveland, Boardman, and Wintersville.

According to Zimmerman, a customer does not have to be a resident of Ohio. As long as they have a state issued ID from any of the states or some form of government ID from the United States or other countries, they can come in and purchase.

Zimmerman noted that the caveat to that is transporting a schedule one drug across a state line in the United States is illegal. So, while out of state customers can legally purchase, they cannot legally take it out of the State of Ohio.

FRX wouldn’t market heavy to those markets outside of Ohio, Zimmerman said. “We understand we our place is, and we care very much about our patients in Ohio.”

The legalization of recreational/adult use marijuana can benefit East Liverpool financially. According to Zimmerman, the State of Ohio gets 10% tax off the sale of marijuana and the City of East Liverpool will see some of that tax money but she isn’t sure how much.

East Liverpool Safety Service Director Bill Jones said the voters passed it and it will be an economic plus for the city.

Mayor Bobby Smith said he is fine with it and figured it would have been made legal before now. Smith noted the city will take the take money from the sales and use it in the proper way.