Ohio Issues 32 More Cannabis Sale Permits July 31

COLUMBUS – The Ohio Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) is just about wrapped up with its licensing process to allow existing cultivators, processors and testing laboratories to participate in the state’s adult-use marketplace after issuing 32 more permits July 31.

To date, the DCC has issued dual-use certificates of operation—allowing businesses to serve both the medical and adult-use cannabis markets—to 66 of 86 licensees that applied for permits in these three licensing categories:

6 approved testing laboratories (of 7 that applied for dual-use licensure)
29 approved cultivators (of 37 that applied for dual-use licensure)
31 approved processors (of 42 that applied for dual-use licensure)

Meanwhile, 134 dispensaries remain in the provisional licensing queue for adult-use operations. This means they turned in their paperwork after the application period opened June 7 and are now awaiting final approval from the state.

While the voter-approved statutory deadline for the DCC to begin issuing dual-use certificates of operation to dispensaries is Sept. 7, state officials said at the start of the process that they planned to prioritize licensing cultivators, processors and testing laboratories to help ensure the entire supply chain is functional before giving dispensaries the go-ahead to launch adult-use sales.

That prioritization is nearly complete, with 77% of cultivators, processors and testing labs having the green light as of July 31. Included in the most recent licensing batch were some of Ohio’s larger Level I cultivators, such as New York-based The Cannabist Co., and Ohio-based Standard Wellness and Buckeye Relief.

These Level I cultivators were allowed to grow up to 25,000 square feet of canopy under Ohio’s medical cannabis program but can now expand to 100,000 square feet under the state’s adult-use regulations approved by voters in the November 2023 election. Level II cultivators can expand from 3,000 to 15,000 square feet. In addition, the state plans to issue 40 Level III cultivation licenses to social equity operators who can grow up to 5,000 square feet.

Located just east of Cleveland, Buckeye Relief’s cultivation and processing facility began preparations to expand its operations in recent months, CEO and co-founder Andy Rayburn previously told Cannabis Business Times. These preparations include increasing staff by roughly 30% at the cultivation facility and 50% at the company’s three retail facilities and tripling inventory.

But one central question he and other Ohio cannabis operators continue to receive is: When will adult-use sales start?

To find out when, click on Cannabis Business Times