TROTWOOD — A Trotwood smoke and vape shop said they found a way to up its sales with the passing of Issue 2, which legalized recreational marijuana.
Goldwasser Smoke and Vape Shop is in Trotwood on 4644 Salem Avenue, and they are advertising that they sell marijuana.
In Ohio, it is legal to have recreational marijuana in your possession however there is no place to legally purchase it. Adults 21 and over are also permitted to grow up to six plants individually and no more than 12 in a household with multiple adults.
They are selling Best Bud Delta 9 products, which have less than 3% of THC in them.
“The item in this bag is less than 0.3% Delta 9 THC… meaning that the item is a ‘Hemp-Derived’ product,” a spokesperson from the Department of Commerce said about a package of the shop’s Delta 9 product.
According to Healthline, Delta 9 is a cannabinoid found in cannabis. Delta 9 is the most abundant form of THC in cannabis plants.
Users of Delta 9 can feel an intoxicating effect, in other words, feel high, according to Healthline.
Goldwasser advertises Delta 9 as marijuana, but it is not. The shop has been selling the products for the past four to five months.
“Currently what we are doing is trying to abide by state law and what they’re trying to have diction,” Goldwasser Smoke and Vape shop owner Jake Flanagan said.
Customers are still excited to purchase Goldwasser’s product, and when the store opened at 11:30 a.m. Monday, customers were ready to go inside and shop.
>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Recreational marijuana now legal in Ohio; What to expect
Bob Johnson shops at Goldwasser and said he has been waiting to buy these products since high school.
“I’ve been waiting since 1994 to do this. I’ve been advocating for this since I was in high school,” Goldwasser customer Bob Johnson said.
Some people drove miles to purchase Goldwasser’s Delta 9 products.
“I’m from Cincinnati I come here all the time. Once a weekend I get my goodies and I go back home,” customer Terry Coleman said.
Coleman said he is a frequent user of Delta 9 for his medical condition.
“Marijuana helps me with stress and my sickle cell so I’m happy that it came to Ohio,” Coleman said.
Goldwasser Smoke and Vape shop store manager Jake Flanagan said they did a lot of research into what they can sell.
“I know it’s pretty brash, brazen, and ballsy right now to do what we do but I hope we can have that conversation soon,” Flanagan said.
Since Dec. 7, Ohioans over the age of 21 can legally possess weed.
The City of Trotwood has a moratorium in place for the next year on any new applications and permits for businesses relating to recreational marijuana, according to City Manager Quincy Pope Sr.
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Both the City of Trotwood and the local police department are aware that these products are being sold within city limits.
In a statement by Trotwood City Manager Quincy Pope Sr., he said a medical card is not needed to buy Delta 9.
“Delta 9 THC derived from hemp falls under the state laws as CBD,” Pope Sr. said.
Pope Sr. told News Center 7′s Malik Patterson that the Trotwood Police Department did seize products from the smoke shop several weeks ago.
After testing the products, police confirmed the products were Delta 9 THC and not marijuana.
Flanagan said he is open to having a deeper conversation with city officials and lawmakers if need be.
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