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Coventry Village is pleased to announce that Amplify Dispensary will be opening in our neighborhood this year. Occupying the old “American Apparel” space adjacent to Grums, this will be the first-ever retail location operated by Buckeye Relief, expected to open at the end of 2021. Buckeye Relief is a licensed Level 1 medical marijuana cultivator and processor based in Eastlake, Ohio. Their state-of-the-art 60,000 square foot facility is staffed by a team of more than 100 dedicated employees. They maintain the largest overall market share in Ohio, based on the number of products sold in dispensaries since the program started. The company is 100% owned and operated by Ohioans.
On May 1st, The Ohio Board of Pharmacy granted Buckeye Relief a provisional dispensary license for a location on Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights. Buckeye Relief will operate the retail location under the name “Amplify,” and expects to open its doors to Ohio’s medical marijuana patients later this year following inspection and receipt of a certificate of operation from the Ohio Board of Pharmacy.
“Buckeye Relief has proudly served Ohio’s patients since dispensaries opened their doors in early 2019, and we’re thrilled to bring our experience and leadership to the retail level and connect with patients in a new way,” says Buckeye Relief CEO Andrew Rayburn.
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy’s decision comes at a time when the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program’s registered patient population exceeds 176,000 and continues to grow. “Our new locations will fill a gap in the region’s dispensary landscape by serving patients on the east side of Cleveland and in areas of Geauga County who have been traveling close to an hour to purchase medical marijuana,” says Rayburn.
“Working with the Amplify team over the last 2+ years has been an incredible experience,” said Mallory Phillips Kent, Executive Director of Coventry Village Special Improvement District. “After touring their Eastlake growing facility, I’m impressed by the impeccability of their processes, their commitment to the community, and the vibrant energy of their hardworking staff. I am confident they’ll be a huge asset to Coventry Village and we welcome the opportunity to serve our neighborhood in this unique way!”
Amplify dispensary is projected to bring new jobs to the community. “We’ve created a great partnership in Eastlake where we’ve been supported by and involved in the community for the past four years, and are excited to expand that partnership to Cleveland Heights and the vibrant Coventry Village neighborhood,” says Rayburn.
“Coventry Village has always been a trailblazing community of people committed to progress! All of the Coventry Village Merchants are thrilled to welcome another small business to the neighborhood that continues to support the well-being, accessibility, and economic growth of our community,” says Phillips Kent.
We are so excited for Amplify Dispensary to join our community! We got a chance to chat with the Retail Director of Amplify Dispensary AJ Carabello. We were inspired by their story and passion for providing a convenient and excellent service for our community.
Why are you excited to open in Coventry?
The culture and history! In Coventry Village, it’s wonderful to see everyone share their favorite spots, personal ties, and fond memories…and now we get to be a part of this neighborhood that means so much to so many. How can we not be excited!
What will you bring to the neighborhood? Your vision for Amplify in Coventry?
Of course, we hope to bring the best medical marijuana dispensary in Coventry, and hopefully we can provide yet another avenue to amplify the visibility of all the phenomenal businesses and attractions the neighborhood has to offer. Unfortunately, strict state regulations limit our ability to participate in events like Final Fridays and other programs, but we are working to find compliant ways within those regulations to be a good, active neighbor in a neighborhood that has welcomed us with open arms.
What's your experience in the medical marijuana industry and how do you plan to maximize that here in our neighborhood?
I came to Buckeye Relief after 2 years managing another Ohio dispensary. I am also a licensed pharmacist. My background in pharmacy drives me to heavily focus on patient care and patient education. We will have a pharmacist available at Amplify for private consultations, and to provide staff with continuing education. Some patients may not have any questions regarding products. They just want to order their medication and have it ready when they arrive at the dispensary. We want to provide the best and quickest service in the state for those patients as well. We also recognize that first-time patients may be overwhelmed by the number of available products or by the sheer fact that they are using cannabis for the first time. Those patients deserve to have a comfortable, judgement-free environment to ask questions. The neighborhood itself already displays those qualities, and we intend to further amplify them within our walls. The patient is why we are here.
What are some of the impacts you've witnessed of Marijuana for Medical use?
The greatest impact is on self-reported improvements in quality of life, but it is so personal for each patient that it is truly immeasurable. What you and I take for granted can mean the world to someone else. Hearing the joy in a patient saying “I was able to walk to get my own mail for the first time in years” brought that into perspective for me.
Are you looking to obtain a medical marijuanna card? See the Ohio guidelines below from the Amplify FAQ page on their website. Amplify is committed to providing the tools and resources for the community to obtain a medical card. In the state of Ohio, the qualifying conditions for a medical card are:
Find and schedule a visit with a (CTR) certified to recommend a medical marijuana doctor. For a list of all CTR doctors in Ohio, or to find a CTR doctor in your area, use the Ohio Medical Board CTR Search.
The physician will need one of the following forms of ID: the patient’s valid Ohio driver’s license, a valid Ohio identification card issued by the Ohio bureau of motor vehicles (BMV), or a valid United States passport.
The physician may also ask for medical records pertaining to the patient’s qualifying condition.
Patients registered with a special status of Veteran or Indigent are eligible for discounts at dispensaries and reduced state registration fees. Patients wishing to apply for Veteran or Indigent status will need to bring additional paperwork to the physician appointment. See next FAQ “How do I register with Indigent or Veteran Status?”
Once your CTR doctor has entered your information into the patient or caregiver registry, you will receive an email with instructions on how to login to your patient registry account. Once logged in you will have to complete your patient or caregiver application and pay the annual registration fee of $50 for patients and $25 for caregivers
Patients who qualify for Indigent or Veteran status may qualify to have their state registration fee reduced by 50%. Patients seeking to qualify for Veteran or Indigent Status cannot submit payment until their status has been approved by the Board of Pharmacy. The “Activate Card” button is not available while the status is pending.
**Note for caregivers: While a patient’s card is active immediately upon submitting payment, a caregiver’s card may take up to 1 week to be active. We encourage caregivers to call the dispensary to verify their status prior to their first visit to a dispensary in the state.
Once you have received your Patient or Caregiver Registry Card, you will be able to purchase at Amplify or any other dispensary licensed by the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy.