BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The legalization of recreational marijuana is set to have a massive impact on businesses already using cannabis both in the medical field, and manufacturers.
MEDICAL:
Dr. Laszlo Mechtler, director of the DENT Institute's Cannabis Clinic, says that there is a big difference between medical marijuana and recreational marijuana. Medical marijuana is high in CBD, which has no psychoactive component, while recreational marijuana are typically high in THC, which has psychoactive components and gives the "high" sensation.
Those differences are why Dr. Mechtler fears people will seek recreational marijuana for medical treatment, when it may not be the right form of cannabis.
"Talk to a doctor who has experience in this," Dr. Mechtler said, "who can then specifically recommend the type of marijuana, the ratio, the dosage and at the end of the day how it interacts with their medication."
Dr. Mechtler sees recreational marijuana changing how many use medical marijuana also because of price.
"Recreational marijuana is going to be cheaper than medical marijuana, who's going to want to do medical marijuana," Dr. Mechtler said.
Dr. Mechtler believes that physicians should have been a part of the decision into legalizing recreational marijuana prior to the release of the law.
MANUFACTURERS:
For Justin Schultz, owner of Bison Botanics, they are expecting to see their business changed from a cannabis product manufacturer, to much more.
"There is a micro-bill license in the bill that will allow us to grow cannabis, process it, manufacture products, have a retail location, and even a consumption lounge," Schultz said.
This is something that, Schultz said, will take a while to complete. His business and all others will not be able to sell recreational marijuana until at least April 1, 2022 when the tax structure of the marijuana bill takes effect. Leading up to that, Schultz sees an ability for his business to grow immensely.
"It's going to change our product offering and immediately change our workforce four to six times (what it is now)," Schultz said.
For more information on Bison Botanics, visit their website here.
