Ohio’s Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) has issued the first tranche of adult-use licenses, bringing a near eight-month wait to an end.
Six cannabis processors and four cultivators have now been granted the state’s first dual-license certificates, allowing them to begin legally supplying Ohio’s long awaited adult-use cannabis market.
Last week, Business of Cannabis reported that the DCC had issued over 100 provisional adult-use cannabis licenses to dispensaries across the state as it prepared for sales to finally launch.
As reported previously, Ohians voted by a 57% majority to legalize adult-use cannabis in the state in November 2023, giving regulators a deadline of September 07, 2024, to fully implement the programme and begin awarding licenses.
In mid-May, the political deadlock keeping Ohio’s adult-use cannabis rollout in limbo was finally broken, meaning the state’s 124 medical cannabis dispensaries could begin the application process.
As such, the DCC has notified 182 facilities that they have qualified for a provisional license, including six testing labs, 33 cultivators, 39 processors and 104 dispensaries.
According to the DCC, it plans to issue dual-licenses, which allow businesses to serve both the medical and adult-use markets, to cultivators, processors and testing labs before dispensaries.
Level I cultivator licences were issued to Pure Ohio Wellness, Green Thumb Industries and Klutch Cannabis. A Level II cultivation licence was given to Farkas Farms, while Processor licences were issued to Green Thumb Industries, Klutch Cannabis, Riviera Creek, One Orijin and FN Group.
Cultivators and processors with dual-use licenses can transfer products using their medical cannabis license numbers until October 14. Dispensaries can continue selling these products, but after October 14, they cannot accept new products labeled with medical cannabis license numbers from dual-use cultivators or processors.
Ohio’s adult-use legalization law requires dual-use licenses for dispensaries by September 7. Once issued, dispensaries can start serving adult-use customers at their discretion, without a specific launch date.
