Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opening In Lorain

LORAIN, OH — Rise Lorain, the city's first medical marijuana dispensary, will open on Tuesday afternoon.

"We are honored to be the first company to offer medical marijuana in Lorain and to be welcomed into this amazing community," said Bryan Lloyd, Rise regional director. "Giving back is in GTI’s DNA and we plan to be extremely considerate neighbors and impactful community members."

The Rise chain is owned by Green Thumb Industries, a national brand that sells packaged cannabis items. Green Thumb manufactures and sells cannabis flowers, concentrates, edibles and topicals. The company employs 600 people nationwide and has pulled licenses for 77 retail locations and operations throughout 12 markets in the U.S.

Rise Dispensaries has locations in Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada and Pennsylvania. Rise's Lorain location will be its first foray into the Buckeye State. Rise will also be the first medical marijuana dispensary in Lorain.

Lorain Mayor Chase Ritenaur and former Lorain County Commissioner Ted Kalo are both expected to be on-hand for the ribbon cutting on Tuesday. The ceremony will take place at 3 p.m.

"I am proud of the fact that after many years of working on the issue of medical marijuana access along with the outcry from patients suffering from debilitating diseases, such as cancer, epilepsy and our veterans with PTSD, patients can now legally purchase cannabis to improve their quality of life and meet their medical needs," said Former Lorain County Commissioner Ted Kalo.