The third annual Ohio Cannabis Health & Business Summit brought vendors, speakers, and industry leaders to the International Exposition Center in Berea in early October. About 5,700 people attended the convention as well, up from 4,500 last year, according to summit founder and CEO Lenny Berry.
With recreational use now legal in Ohio, the event also drew pro-cannabis entrepreneurs eager to harness a wide-open marketplace. One is Tom Mikulski, a Portage County landlord whose past enterprises include oil wells, car washes, and mini-storage facilities.
Having spent a decade supporting recreational dispensaries in Michigan as a silent partner, Mikulski is now fully committed to the Ohio cannabis industry, he said. A long-time recreational user himself, he also worked alongside a local cannabis processor on its wholesale operations prior to legalization.
"I see (legalization) as a good thing – it's not like alcohol where it's at every corner," said Mikulski. "Seventy-five percent of people are using (marijuana) wisely, they're not just using it to get high. I use it for sleep and pain relief. I was a framer and carpenter by trade, and just beat up over the years from hard work."
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