Marijuana laws in Ohio 2023: Where can I buy recreational weed? – The Cincinnati Enquirer

Recreational marijuana is legal in Ohio as of Thursday, but when and where you can buy it remains up in the air.

Voters approved an initiated statute last month, known as Issue 2, that allows adults 21 and older to use and grow cannabis. The measure’s passage made Ohio the 24th state to legalize adult-use marijuana.

Here’s what to know:

Where can I buy recreational marijuana in Ohio now?

Can you go out and buy marijuana?

Not quite.

Unless lawmakers and Gov. Mike DeWine approve medical dispensaries to sell recreational marijuana, legal sales likely won’t start until late next summer or fall. That’s because the Division of Cannabis Control has to set rules on licensing, product standards, packaging and more.

It will also take time for businesses to get up and running. License applications for marijuana growers, processors and dispensaries must be available within the next six months. The state has nine months to issue the first round of licenses, which will go to existing medical marijuana businesses and eligible operators under the social equity program.