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Slowed by lawsuits, construction delays and other problems, the state’s first few dispensaries didn’t open until mid-January, most in the northeast corner of Ohio three or more hours away from Dayton, Hamilton, Middletown and Springfield.
The next closest dispensary is About Wellness Ohio, which opened Tuesday in Lebanon.
More than 31,000 people registered with the state to purchase medical marijuana as patients and as of Thursday, less than half had bought marijuana under the program.
Smoking is forbidden by the law passed in 2016, but medical cannabis can be vaped and used in edibles and oils by patients for 21 currently approved conditions with possibly more on the way.
Besides the location in Riverside, five other area dispensaries are expected to open soon, including two in Dayton, two in Springfield and one in Monroe.
Locations in Beavercreek and Seven Mile have also received preliminary approval by the state to house dispensaries.
The license for Mad River Remedies belongs to Schottenstein Aphria III LLC.
The Dayton Daily News reported in 2017 that Columbus-based Schottenstein family — behind fashion retailers like American Eagle — formed a business partnership with Aphria, a Canadian medical marijuana company. The partners were not successful in getting a license to grow marijuana in the state.
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A message was left with Aphria and with a Schottenstein representative seeking more information about the dispensary.
The location where the Riverside dispensary will open is in a storefront in a small retail center, which is also owned by the Schottenstein’s real estate arm, the Schottenstein Property Group.
The storefront was most recently home to a Flight Line Coffee Co., which closed late 2017.
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