- Posted
- June 14, 2024
More than 50 Ohio towns ban recreational cannabis sales
Dozens of Ohio governments will still ban recreational cannabis dispensaries despite the November election that legalized recreational sales statewide for adults (Source: “More than 50 Ohio cities ban recreational marijuana businesses,” Cincinnati Enquirer, June 12).
A report from Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law Drug Enforcement and Policy Center found that while none of Ohio’s biggest cities, such as Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland, have enacted bans on recreational cannabis sales, 54 suburbs and smaller towns have enacted moratoriums, as of May 31.
Currently, there are 120 certified medical cannabis licensees and another 17 provisional licensees operating 126 dispensaries statewide, per the Ohio Department of Commerce. Many of these businesses will be able to apply for dual-use licenses that allow them to sell medical and adult-use products at their facilities, per rules proposed by the cannabis division of the Ohio Department of Commerce.
Most of the moratoriums' stated purpose is to preserve public health or safety, the center noted, while 33 mentioned a desire to wait for state regulators or lawmakers to write the rules for the recreational program.