NILES, Ohio – The city’s first cannabis dispensary is open for business.

AYR Cannabis Dispensary Niles, 1212 Youngstown-Warren Road, opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday.

“Honestly, even before dual use had become effective in Ohio, we recognized that there was an underserved medical population here in Niles, and we targeted this area because of that underserved population,” said Matt Truppo, vice president of AYR Dispensary. 

He called it the best choice the company could have made, citing a successful ramp-up since the store’s mid-February soft opening.

“There’s been a tremendous outpouring of support from the local community,” Truppo said. 

The store offers flower, vape cartridges, edibles and other products.

“We pride ourselves on offering the best quality products for the best price points, including some of our own brands that we feature such as Later Days, Kynd and HZ,” Truppo said.

Victoria Matz, store manager, said business has been great so far. She’s new to the cannabis industry, coming from a retail pharmacy chain. Most of the 23 employees came from other industries as well.

“The key, I guess, was hiring individuals who were passionate about cannabis,” she said. “And the job was very easy for them after that.”

The store features an open concept as well as a drive-thru for customers, the first among AYR’s Ohio stores.

“We ask that they come in the store for their first visit, but every subsequent visit after that they can use the drive-thru,” Truppo said.

Matz believes that’s something that sets AYR apart from other dispensaries.

“I know at other locations, they’re waiting in line outside the building to get in, even after they’ve done a pre-order,” she said.

The Youngstown-Warren Road store is AYR’s fourth Ohio location to open in the past 14 months, and the company plans to open several more, including one in Streetsboro in Portage County.

“We are here, and we are committed to serving the Ohio community,” Truppo said. 

AYR also operates in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, Illinois, Nevada, Florida and Massachusetts. AYR Wellness is a vertically integrated company with a cultivation facility in Parma and a manufacturing facility in Akron.

Pictured at top: Matt Truppo, AYR vice president, and Victoria Matz, manager of the Niles store.