On November 7, 2023, Ohio voters passed Issue 2 into law, establishing Ohio’s adult-use recreational cannabis industry. With this win, Ohio has now become the 24th state in the nation to allow for adults 21 years of age and older to purchase cannabis through a regulated dispensary retailer.
The specific effort that allowed for cannabis is Issue 2, which allows for:
- Adults 21 years of age and older to possess up to 2.5 ounces (70 grams) of cannabis
- Adults 21 years of age and older to grow up to six cannabis plants
- Ohio’s Division of Cannabis Control to become established to regulate the adult-use cannabis industry
- Taxation of recreational cannabis products at a 10% tax rate
Prior to Issue 2, Ohio’s medical cannabis market was overseen by the Ohio Department of Commerce and the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy. The Department of Commerce oversaw all cultivation, processing, and testing facilities while the Board of Pharmacy was responsible for dispensaries and managing registered medical patients and caregivers. Additionally, the State of Ohio Medical Board oversaw which physicians were able to qualify medical patients and caregivers.
The Ohio Division of Cannabis Control will establish a dedicated team to oversee all aspects of the Cannabis industry from Seed-to-Sale. Following the election, the Division of Cannabis Control is expected to form and complete their rules and regulations for the industry within nine months. Based on that timeline, by mid-2024 we can start to expect the regulations and licensing rounds to roll out.
Our friends at MJBiz Daily are optimistic about the Ohio opportunities, citing that their adult use market could be a multi-billion-dollar yearly enterprise.
Our team at MJ Freeway Consulting has already won cannabis licenses in Ohio’s medical market and is ready to support future operators in this and any upcoming states. We have won licenses in 18 states and have personally won a total of nine cannabis operator licenses for our clients in Ohio alone.
If you are ready to start the conversations about your future cannabis operation in Ohio, or any market in the United States, book a free consultation demo with our team:
