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Cannabis in Ohio

Medical cannabis was approved in Ohio in 2016, but the first licensed dispensary didn’t open for patients to access it until 2019. Adult-use cannabis is not legal in the state. The Ohio Department of Commerce and Board of Pharmacy oversees the regulatory structure of the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program. The Department of Commerce oversees growers, processors and labs, and the Board of Pharmacy oversees dispensaries.

Overview of Key Ohio Cannabis Laws

Is medical cannabis allowed? Yes

Is adult-use cannabis allowed? No

Personal Laws

Ohio has decriminalized marijuana under certain limits. Possession of less than 100 grams of cannabis is considered a misdemeanor and is penalized with a $150 maximum fine but no jail time.

Personal Possession

Overall Possession: Less than 100 grams of cannabis (misdemeanor penalized with a fine up to $150)

Registered Patient Possession: 90-day supply

Non-Ohio Resident Possession: Ohio has not entered into medical cannabis reciprocity agreements with any other states yet, so out-of-state visitors are subject to the same overall possession rules as Ohio residents regardless of their medical marijuana patient status in other states.

Personal Growing

Personal growing is not allowed in Ohio.

Registered Medical Patient Growing: None

Medical Cannabis Patient Qualification and Registry

Patients must receive a recommendation from a physician approved by the state showing that they have a qualifying condition to receive medical marijuana. In addition, the healthcare provider must have an expectation that they’ll provide ongoing care to the patient, and it’s the physician’s responsibility to submit all patient registration paperwork to the state.

Qualifying medical conditions include:

  • AIDS
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Cancer
  • Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Epilepsy or another seizure disorder
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Glaucoma
  • Hepatitis C
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Pain that is either chronic and severe or intractable
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Positive status for HIV
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Sickle cell anemia
  • Spinal cord disease or injury
  • Tourette’s syndrome
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Ulcerative colitis

Business Laws

Vertical integration or “license stacking” is allowed, which means an entity may hold more than one license across the supply chain. Dispensary locations are based on the distribution of the state’s population into 31 districts with each district having the maximum number of allowed dispensary licenses.

License Types

  1. Cultivation Licenses
  2. Processing Licenses
  3. Dispensary Licenses
  4. Testing Laboratory Licenses

License Fees

Cultivation: Application fee of $2,000 for small cultivation areas or $20,000 for large cultivation areas plus a certificate of operation (license) fee of $20,000 for small cultivation areas or $200,000 for large cultivation areas

Processor: $10,000 application fee and $90,000 certificate of operation (license) fee

Dispensary: $5,000 application fee and $70,000 certificate of operation (license) fee

Testing Laboratory: $2,000 application fee and $18,000 certificate of operation (license) fee

License Timeline

Currently, Ohio allows up to 60 dispensary licenses, 24 cultivation licenses (12 for small cultivation areas of up to 3,000 sq. ft. and 12 for large cultivation areas of up to 25,000 sq. ft.), and 40 processor licenses. There is no limit on the number of testing lab licenses that may be issued.

Testing

Cannabis testing by a licensed lab is required in Ohio.

Training

Ohio does not requires specific training for cannabis license holders.

Learn More about Cannabis in Ohio and How to Work or Start a Business in the Ohio Cannabis Industry

Leafy Green Agency offers a variety of certification seminars for people who want to start businesses, find jobs, get promotions, or invest in the cannabis industry in Ohio and across the country. Follow the link to learn more about our educational seminars.

Sources and More Information

Data current as of 1/3/20.