Montgomery County’s first medical marijuana dispensary to open in Riverside

Montgomery County’s first medical marijuana dispensary will mark its grand opening Thursday in Riverside.

Mad River Remedies, at 5604 Airway Rd., worked for nearly two years to get everything approved by the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy and the Ohio Department of Commerce.

Jay Joshi, chief pharmacist for the dispensary, said Mad River has been serving patients since May 28, but will officially celebrate its opening this week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony from the Chamber of Commerce.

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“Excited doesn’t begin to describe how we feel about officially opening,” Joshi said. “There has been and will continue to be a lot of learning for patients and providers in this field. We feel privileged to be where we are right now.”

Mad River Remedies is No. 19 on Ohio’s list of licensed medical marijuana dispensaries. The next closest dispensary is About Wellness Ohio in Lebanon.

Joshi said Mad River gets its product from growers across Ohio.

MORE: Chronic pain cited as top reason from Ohioans buying medical marijuana

The dispensary fills an economic development void. Riverside City Manager Mark Carpenter said the building sat empty for about a year, but Mad River Remedies has built onto the space since taking it over.

“They have been very cooperative and worked closely with us throughout this entire process,” Carpenter said.

Mad River’s hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Joshi said he anticipates expanding hours based on customer feedback and needs.

Joshi said the dispensary’s proximity to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has brought a lot of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder into Mad River. Joshi said he’s also treated patients with epilepsy, chronic pain, cancer and other chronic illnesses.

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