The Akron-based marijuana company Klutch Cannabis is opening a new adult-use location on Prospect Ave. that has deep roots tied to Cleveland's rock and roll history.
Some would say Rock 'n' Roll and weed, especially in the 70’s, went hand in hand. Icons like Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, and Cheech and Chong embraced the herb, pushing boundaries and making groundbreaking music that defined generations. It’s a movement former Peabody's concert promoter and Cleveland Radio D.J., Larry Collins, remembers vividly.
“It wasn’t as corporate as it is now, people were just having a good time,” said Collins.
Throughout Collins’s career, he helped bring big acts to Cleveland.
“Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, R.E.M, a lot, a lot came through the doors there."
Collins said he often stopped by record rendezvous, which was once located on 300 Prospect Avenue. The iconic shop owned by Leo Mintz first opened in 1938 and is said to be where the term Rock 'n' Roll was coined.
“They had a great staff that was really hip,” Collins said.
Well, the historic building, which has sat vacant for years, is now being redeveloped into Klutch Cannabis’s new adult dual-usage dispensary.
“We are going to try to make sure we are doing our best to pay homage to what it was, what it means to Clevelanders, what it means to the region, and what it means to music in general," said Pete Nischt, Vice President, Compliance Communications at Klutch Cannabis.
Klutch’s Cannabis’s second adult dual-usage dispensary will be opening on Northfield Road in Summit County. Both locations in downtown Cleveland and in Northfield Village are within the state's zoning requirements, being 500 feet away from schools, churches, and parks.
“These adult use retail stores will be a dual medical adult use facility are going to generate tax revenue for whatever community they operate in," Nischt said.
Back in Cleveland, Collins said he didn’t always leave the record store with just new music, so he thinks the new project is perfect.
“Considering I would meet a guy every now and then at Record Revolution and buy a nickle or dime bag, I would say it’s fitting,” said Collins. “I would say, what took them so long?”
Klutch Cannabis has applied for its dual usage license but said they haven’t heard anything back yet. The company hopes to hear something back by mid-July. Klutch Cannabis hopes to have both new dispensaries completed and running by Q1 of 2025.
