Ohio to Award Dual-Use Cannabis Licenses by June

LOS ANGELES- Ohio is set to begin the transition to allow existing medical cannabis dispensaries to sell cannabis recreationally. The state’s Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review has approved regulations for dual-use licenses, with applications expected to be accepted no later than Friday, June 7. This development follows the approval of the Issue 2 ballot initiative by Ohio voters last fall, which mandates the issuance of adult-use dispensary licenses by September.

Jim Canepa, superintendent of Ohio’s Division of Cannabis Control, highlighted that these dual-use licenses will enable dispensaries currently selling medical cannabis to expand their sales to include recreational cannabis as early as June. Canepa noted that the application process would be straightforward for these existing operators, as they have already met stringent requirements to obtain their medical cannabis permits. However, the final approval and rollout might require additional time as many dispensaries are operated by multi-state companies, necessitating further corporate and legal reviews.