CINCINNATI — Recreational marijuana will be up for sale in several Cincinnati-area dispensaries beginning Tuesday.
The use of recreational marijuana was made legal on Nov. 7, 2023. Since then, local dispensaries have been patiently waiting for their license and the green light to sell.
“Tuesday is go time. That means anyone over the age of 21 can come into our Sunnyside dispensary and shop for the first time,” said Jason Erkes, a spokesperson for Sunnyside Medical Marijuana Dispensary in Cincinnati, which has been approved to begin recreational sales.
Here's what to know before heading to your nearest dispensary:
First, not every dispensary in the state of Ohio will be selling recreational marijuana on Tuesday — dispensaries already selling medical marijuana were awarded the first round of licenses and, even still, not every medicinal marijuana dispensary is guaranteed to be ready to sell Tuesday morning.
Second, you have to be at least 21 and show a valid government ID — just like if you were buying alcohol. Unlike alcohol, however, you won't be able to load up a cart with everything you want.
“You can purchase up to two and a half ounces of cannabis flower per day. However, while you can purchase that amount each day, you are only permitted to possess up to two and a half ounces - total,” said David Waxman, attorney with McGlinchey Stafford's Cleveland Office. “If you want to keep accumulating it you can, but you’ll be over the possession limit.”
To buy anything at all though, you may have to trade green for green: Most dispensaries operate on a cash-only basis, but NerdWallet reported in April that not every dispensary "are playing by the rules."
Waxman also told us that, while you may transport cannabis in your car, you’ll want to make sure the amount is two and a half ounces or less. Similar to alcohol, you can transport it from the dispensary to your home but taking it to other places could pose a risk. Taking it over state lines is also illegal.
“Regardless of whether a state has made cannabis legal medically or recreationally it's still illegal federally … that's when the federal authorities can get involved. Not likely that that's going to happen, but they can,” Waxman said.
Lastly, expect long lines at dispensaries. Waxman predicts more dispensaries will get their license to sell recreational marijuana in the next few weeks but only a select few can sell starting Tuesday.
Out-of-state customers from Kentucky and Indiana will also likely increase the demand and crowds here in Cincinnati.
Which medical marijuana dispensaries near me will be selling recreational?
The Division of Cannabis Control in Ohio said there are 98 dispensaries state-wide that will receive their official Certificate of Operation to sell recreational marijuana Tuesday.
Of those, around 20 are in the Greater Cincinnati area:
Hamilton County:
- The Landing — 4029 Smith Road
- Queen City Cannabis — 3764 Montgomery Road in Norwood
- Queen City Cannabis --10140 Suspension Bridge Road in Harrison
- Sunnyside — 5149 Kennedy Avenue
- Zen Leaf Cincinnati — 8420 Vine Street
- Nectar – 3405 Werk Road
- OPA – 830 Reedy Street
- Verilife — 5432 Ridge Avenue
Butler County:
- Columbia Care — 300 N. Main Street in Monroe
- The Landing Dispensary – 1312 Hamilton-Lebanon Road in Monroe
- Consume Oxford – 3620 Southpointe Parkway in Oxford
- Pure Iconic — 5280 College Corner Pike in Oxford
- Shangri-La Dispensary — 211 Brooks Drive, Monroe
- Shangri-La Dispensary — 100 Clarence F Warner Drive, Monroe
Clermont County:
- Beyond Hello — 693 Old State Route 74
- Uplift – 401 Rivers Edge Drive in Milford
- The Forest — 4412 Mt. Carmel Tobasco Road
- Ayr Dispensary — 3722 OH-132 in Goshen
Brown County:
- Uplift – 101 Mercy Blvd in Mr. Orab
Highland County:
- Verilife — 1098 North High Street in Hillsboro
What if a marijuana dispensary near me isn't on this list?
If you don't see a dispensary near your area on this list, don't despair right away.
"If a particular entity is not awarded a COO, it is likely the result of an incomplete application submitted by the applicant," says the release from the DCC. "The Division will work with applicants to resolve those issues."
For example, there are a few dispensaries in the Greater Cincinnati area that were given a provisional license for dual sales that are not currently on the DCC's list of Tuesday's Certificate of Operation recipients — though it's likely they'll receive a COO in the future.
The DCC said the certificates were issued based roughly on the order in which companies completed applications when the application phase opened earlier this year.
You can search licensed dispensaries on the Division of Cannabis Control's website here. The division also has a searchable map it says it will continue to update as more licenses are issued in the future.
In all, the Certificates of Operation are being issued around one month before the September 7 deadline set down in the statute language that was passed by Ohio voters last November.
There are currently no dispensaries with provisional licenses for dual sales or certificates of operation for recreational sales in Clinton or Adams counties, based on the DCC's list issued Monday and its database online.
While Adams County voters did not vote in favor of recreational marijuana in November, the majority of voters in Clinton County did.
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