Sales data released by the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control show dispensaries in the Buckeye State sold over $11 million worth of recreational marijuana in just five days.
Recreational sales opened to the public on August 6 and by August 10, roughly 1,285 pounds of non-medical plant material had been sold, the report shows. That's in addition to 173,043 units of manufactured products like edibles.
In all, non-medical cannabis sales totaled $11,530,708, the report says.
The report doesn't lay out how much of that roughly $11.5 million was tax revenue for the state; with a combined excise tax and sales tax, adult-use marijuana consumers can expect to pay 15.75% when they go to the dispensary, plus the local tax of the city, township or county they are in.
The 10% excise tax will be split up among the Cannabis Social Equity and Job Fund (receiving 36%), the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (25%), the Division of Cannabis Control and Department of Taxation (3%) and local communities with dispensaries across the state (36%).
The use of recreational marijuana was made legal in Ohio on Nov. 7, 2023.
The first wave of Certificates of Operation to sell recreational marijuana products to the public went to dispensaries already licensed to sell medical marijuana, which has been legal in Ohio since 2019. The Division of Cannabis Control issued certificates to 98 different dispensaries throughout Ohio on August 6, though more dispensaries are expected to gain certificates over time.
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 were 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.
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