VHS vs. THC: How legacy video stores are helping cannabis businesses in Ohio

Do you remember that abandoned video store near the house you grew up in? It could now be a cannabis dispensary. At least if you live in Ohio.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that more than a dozen Family Video rental properties are candidates to house dispensaries and cannabis stores. Those locations will be selected in a lottery starting this Thursday, with over 1,500 applications being submitted for 73 new medicinal cannabis licenses.

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The 12 family video sites in question received 192 applications from different applicants. While Family Video’s parent company announced last year that it would be ceasing operations, Keith Hoogland, its CEO, said the real estate division was still operational. It has been contacted by a variety of cannabis companies looking for rentals. “I think after a period of time they realized they could capitalize on the situation,” said Adam Thomarios, CEO of Klutch Cannabis.

Ohio legalized medical marijuana in 2016, with dispensaries eventually opening their doors in 2019. The process was slow and rocky, and patients complained about long wait times and expensive products. The addition of the 73 licenses would take the state’s number of pharmacies to 130, with authorities hoping to grow the business, provide better requirements for patients and make it smoother.

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Cannabis licenses are awarded by lottery, allowing for a certain number of licenses per district. According to the authorities, this is the best way to ensure small businesses are supported and justice is promoted within the cannabis industry.

Once you’ve cleared all the hurdles posed by emerging medical cannabis programs, it’s kind of awesome to realize that what used to be video stores are about to find a second life. Back in the day, a video store that also sold snacks and weed would have been heaven.