98 Ohio Dispensaries Approved to Launch Adult-Use Cannabis Sales

Ohio’s adult-use cannabis market will commence with 98 dispensaries opening their doors to those 21 years and older on Aug. 6, the state’s Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) announced Monday. This program rollout comes a month ahead of a Sept. 7 statutory deadline approved by voters in the November 2023 election.

A list of the 98 dispensaries and their locations is provided below.

The DCC plans to issue dual-use certificates of operation to these 98 dispensaries Tuesday, allowing them to serve both medical patients and adult-use customers throughout the Buckeye State. Another 36 dispensaries that also applied for dual-use licensure are awaiting regulatory approval and could start adult-use sales later this week.

While the 98 approved dispensaries are legally authorized to begin adult-use sales on Aug. 6, each individual store can determine when it starts sales based on staffing, inventory and other business considerations, according to the DCC.

The division intends to award dual-use certificates of operation to the remaining 36 applicants who meet regulatory requirements later this week to help ensure a fair and equitable market rollout, according to the DCC. The DCC will also update a map of the approved dispensaries.

“A big reason we were able to get to this point ahead of the Sept. 7 deadline was due to the foundation laid through the state’s existing Medical Marijuana Control Program,” DCC Superintendent James Canepa said in an Aug. 5 public statement. “Since existing licensees had already met stringent requirements of that program, we anticipated this process to be rather smooth. They had already undergone many of the comprehensive checks as part of that process.”

RELATED: Ohio Issues 1st Batch of Adult-Use Cannabis Certificates, Igniting the Market

Ohio will be the 21st state nationwide to launch licensed and regulated adult-use cannabis sales, with 57.2% of voters supporting Issue 2 in November.

“Today we celebrate as Ohioans’ support for legalization culminates in the launch of a regulated adult-use cannabis market,” Matthew Schweich, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a prepared statement. “This milestone will not only generate substantial economic benefits for the state but will increase personal freedom and end the injustice of cannabis prohibition."

While Ohio’s voter-approved measure allows adults 21 and older to legally purchase and possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis flower and 15 grams of concentrate, Ohio’s dispensaries will initially have daily transaction limits for adult-use customers:

• 1 ounce of plant material;
• 10 units of oil for vaporization containing 590 milligrams of THC each; or
• 10 packages of edibles totaling not more than 1100 milligrams of THC total.
  

Before entering a dual-use dispensary to purchase adult-use cannabis, individuals must present a valid, government-issued photo identification containing a date of birth.

Here are the 98 dispensaries approved to begin adult-use sales on Aug. 6: